This song from the Iona community is more the occasion for a short theatrical mime than suitable for liturgy. A cantor sings the verses and the last refrain and the actors each of the other refrains. It is a well written piece relating to episodes in the life of Jesus. Once again it is reminiscent of medieval mystery plays.
It is from the book Heaven Shall Not Wait available at Wild Goose. Wild Goose is an alternative symbol for the Holy Spirit. If I recall, Bell says that you don’t know where the wild goose comes from, nor where it goes, but there is a lot of noise and mess when it is here.
My BIAB backing is another where the chords are cribbed from his keyboard arrangement.
1 Sitting next to no-one, he makes money out of fools:
Faking scales of justice and rewriting half the rules;
Tired of making profit from the easy wage of sin;
Keen he is to stop, but where on earth can he begin?
Refrain
And I still know I’ll know, should we never meet again,
What you love meant then.
2 No-one going near him, most folk turn and walk away;
Eaten by diseases, he grows weaker every day;
Just a social leper, seeking someone on the street;
One of life’s untouchables who no one wants to meet.
Refrain
3 A women of convenience, for the gentlemen of leisure;
A rag on whom they wipe themselves, pretending that she’s pleasure.
Oh, how she shrinks from the terror of their stare:
Those who tried to own her now would stone her, free of care.
Refrain
4 Pockets full of money and a head packed full of skill;
Proud beyond presumption, self assured and strong of will;
Craved for as an ally, but unwanted as a friend;
The paragon of know,edge has a soul he hopes can mend.
Refrain
5 Teacher and disputer and accepter of the lost;
Counsellor and Curer, never telling of the cost
Till one hellish Friday, silhouetted on a tree,
The one who heals creation took the pain imposed by me.
Refrain
Words: John L. Bell & Graham Maule, copyright © 1987 Wild Goose Resource Group/ WGRG, Iona Community, Glasgow G2 3DH, Scotland. Melody: SAVIOUR by John Bell. Websites: wgrg.co.uk & holycity-glasgow.co.uk