The Word

words and music by Nathan Hurvitz

The Druid went to his oak grove to pray.

He said, “Unseen gods, they rule us ev’ry day.

So I only bow before an oak tree 
And I don’t believe in idolatry.”

Cho­rus:

He had the word, the word, he knew he had the word,

The word, the word, the true and only word 
He had the word, the word, the true and only word,

He knew he had the word. 

The hea­then kneeled before a graven god.

He said: “Some peo­ple cer­tain­ly are odd;

They believe in spir­its who live in a tree

And don’t pray to gods that you and I can see.”

The astrologer looked high up into the sky.

He said, “The stars will tell if you live or die 
The zodi­ac tells us what we must know:

How the plan­ets rule us, down here below.”

The phre­nol­o­gist felt the bumps upon my head.

He said, “Heads like yours can be so eas­i­ly read.

I feel every lit­tle dip and bump 
And learn about you from every lump.”

The alchemist sought the great philospher’s stone.

He said, “I’ll make gold on my very own;

I’ll burn phlo­gis­ton in a mag­ic pyre 
Of earth, of air, of water and of fire.”

Old Ptole­my looked up at the shin­ing sun.

He said, “I know just how the heav­ens are run;

The earth stands still in the midst of the sky

While the sun and stars go cir­cling by.”

The psy­cho­an­a­lyst sat behind his patient’s couch.
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He said, “For this news I cer­tain­ly will vouch:

You’d be OK, of neu­ro­sis rid,

If only your ego would try to love your id.”

Now tell me dear friend, after what you’ve heard,

Are you real­ly so damned fright­ful­ly absurd;

Do you have the truth by which we are cured,

Are you the only one who has the word?

Final Cho­rus:

Have you the word, the word, oh do you have the word;

The word, the word, the true and only word;

Have you the word, the word, the true and only word;

Oh do you have the word? 

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