it was in the great cathedral when nobody was around
just Jesus on cross beams wishin’ he could get down
when a stranger came in ridin’ a dusty old horse
and the stranger he was laughin’, respectfully of course

“why so glum?” the stranger said, “it’s such a beautiful view”
“Jesus!” said Jesus, “don’t you know who you’re talkin’ to?
and who are you to interrupt my sacred misery?”
“oh I thought you knew,” the stranger said, “I am the laughing deity”

“the laughing deity,” said Jesus, “well I have my doubts
besides, I don’t know what there is to laugh about
I’ve been beaten up and spat on and riddled through with spears
and I’ve been hangin’ from this damn thing for 2000 years”

“that’s a shame,” said the deity, “somebody ought to take you down
you don’t look so good, I know a doctor down town
you could get gangrene, this place is full of rats
ain’t no way to treat a savior leave him hangin’ like that”

“Jesus!” said Jesus, as he cried a bloody tear
“people say they love me but they keep me up here
they think that if I’m miserable they won’t have to feel so bad
if I could get out of this place I’d go to Trinidad”

“don’t you have a famous father who could lay this place to waste?”
“yeah I do,” said Jesus, “but this was his idea in the first place
don’t ask me to explain it, it would take too long
families like mine you have to learn to get along”

now the deity distracted and his mouth began to smile
and he realized he hadn’t had a good laugh in quite a while
but there ain’t no sense in laughin' all alone, says he
“come on Jesus, laugh with me”

“Jesus!” said Jesus, “you must be out of your mind!
I may be many things to many people but I ain’t the laughin’ kind”
“you better learn to be,” the deity replied
“can’t get much worse, you’re already crucified”

“but what about these nails, they got me hangin’ up here like a trophy”
“oh those things are only as strong as you allow them to be
sack cloth and nails, hardwood cross beams and glue
you start laughin’ loud enough, no tellin’ what they might do”

“all right,” said Jesus, with a furrow on his brow
“I used to laugh a long time ago but I kinda forgot how”
“that’s alright,” said the deity, “you’ll get it back
you just need a little somethin’ to help lubricate the laugh track”

“you ever hear the one about the humans?” he said, as he got right up to his ear
and he whispered in a punch line that we will never hear
and Jesus, well, his composure started to erode
and then he broke a laugh like the world would explode

and his laughter ricocheted like a fusillade of thunder
and great cathedral shuddered at the miracle and wonder
and after a while when he finally settled down
Jesus and the deity were both standing on the ground

“Jesus!” said Jesus, “how did I get down?
my hands don’t hurt, my side is healed and I’m walkin’ around
it’s like I just woke up and shook myself and watched myself appear
I haven’t felt this good in two thousand years”

“accept it,” said the deity, “suspend your disbelief
you don’t have to always be so serious, life is way too brief
this is your second chance my friend, it’s a brand new you
no one will even recognize you, you can do what you want to do”

“but what about my followers when they come here looking for me?”
“oh that’s alright, there’s still that other you,” said the laughing deity
and sure enough there he was, so high up in the dust
abandoned and forlorn just like he always was

“Jesus!” said Jesus, “let’s get out of here!”
and they both got on that dusty old horse and away they disappeared
they could’ve ridden off into the sunset but they went the other way
into where the sun was risin’, ‘cause its better that way

there are many morals to be had in story and in song
be careful not to misinterpret or you might just get them wrong
some worlds are full of demons and some are filled with light
it don’t matter what you’re lookin’ at if you can’t see it right

so if you need some explanations in all these great vast mysteries
there are many ways to follow in many different directories
some will leave you hangin’, some will give you a better view
the choice is there before you and I’ll leave it up to you