Jesus Saves

(album: Streets - 1991)

[Intro spoken by the bum:]
Hey, man, got a quarter?
You ain't got nothing that's OK man, that's OK.
God bless you anyway. Here, I hope I didn't scare you or nothing like that. I, I ain't no bum or nothing like that. Yeah, I I use to live uptown once once before too you know. No, no, I did I did really. Use to come down here and look at all the characters. Never thought I'd be one of them though. Characters, man a lot of characters.
He he, you got a minute, you got a minute, let me tell you a story about this friend of mine. D.T. Jesus use to stand for Down Town Jesus. He use to sell drugs and stuff down there, and they called him that's why we use to call him DeTox. He was one character, one character that made it outta here.
Let me tell you about him.

Jesus was a talker
Just an out-of-place New Yorker
He hung out on the boulevard
He was selling nickel candies
He was saving all his quarters
Bought himself a cheap guitar
Started playing' bars
Kids came in their cars
Hear them shouting at the stage

[Chorus:]
Jesus saves
Jesus saves
Yes he does
Jesus saves

You know
Jesus he started changing
Things got really strange
He saw his tee shirts everywhere
He started missing shows
The band came down to blows
But Jesus he just didn't care

Things got out of hand
And so he quit the band
Still the critics they would rave

[Chorus:]

So the dice were cast
Today became the past
Jesus just disappeared
He was headed for New York
Or so his little label thought
And there he gave away the years

Last seen drinking wine
Beneath a flashing sign
Promising salvation to strays

[Chorus]

Her Him cut through the night
On those late night radio waves

Jesus saves
Yes he does
Jesus saves