Hallelujah Anyway

[Refrain: Both]
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

[Verse: Jay Munly & Slim Cessna]
I stood in the frame of Mr. Beerbohm's door

Son, this ain't a barn - know what I called you here for?
You's the last young bachelor in this place
And it's claimed you give your life for God's grace

Ah, Mr. Beerbohm, you heard it true
I love the Lord, my family, and I love you

Son, I'm here to prove you wrong
When you see the proof, you'll join me in song
Your Lord don't know you, your family's disgraced
I love you, too, so I'll get you through the gate
I'm old and dried, but my daughter's clean
Son, are you catching what I mean?
I need a male to carry on my name
Upon your seed I lay my claim

But, Mr. Beerbohm, the doctors say
That with your daughter, a-no man can lay
If a child passes from your daughter's legs
Then she'll pass, too, to the end of her days
And, Mr. Beerbohm, what's with that grin?
Tobacco spit be hanging from your chin

Son, your Lord works in mysterious ways
But in the end, someone's gotta pay!

I wanted nothing to do with his word
So I tripped and ran through the frame of his door
I jumped inside my '41 Ford
I screamed "Sanctuary, Lord!"
The building I chose, it hummed from within
I knew this was the place that my Lord was in
I put my right foot on the first step of the Catholic-named church
And I could hear them calling to me
They sang a-one, two, three

[Refrain: Both]
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

I put my left foot on the next step, almost through the door
They sang it louder out for the Lord
They sang a-one, two, three

[Refrain: Both]
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I screamed my love out for the Lord
As I burst and tripped through the frame of the door
I ran hard down the worn oak aisle
And my banished brother - from a pew, he smiled

I didn't steal, I borrowed
But the town, they disagreed
Mr. Beerbohm said
"Son, won't ya come with me?"
I brought on our family much disgrace
Nice to see my brother own up to his fate

I ran further down the aisle and seen
My stillborn brother that never did breathe

Greetings, brother - we finally meet
I'm the one who soiled our sweet ma's feet
I fell out, hit the ground
Ma and me made no more sound
That's when Beerbohm came, saying "What a disgrace!"
Picked me up, brought me to this place
You love your family? You work for the Lord?
We's both here - you wonder what for?

I came to the pulpit and fell upon my knees
Asked "Lord, this can't be what you planned for me!"
I bent my neck - should I look upon the Lord?
I prepared myself for His word

And the silence slammed in my head, and it burst out my ears and bounced around the black oak walls holding up the Catholic-named church, but that racket was soft compared to the whack-smack his tobacco spit made as it burst upon my forehead, and through his gap-toothed smile, Mr. Beerbohm spoke his word:

You will use your lifework for another, but you will not be pure and clean as your people think is a necessary requirement, and you will touch my daughter, and she will pass on as you two's continue my name for me. You see, we all must make sacrifices. However, as luck will have it, it's yours truly who does the choosing, and if you choose to uselessly turn to your obstinance and misguided notions, well... well, I will be there to titter in your face! And if you still choose to turn away, well, son... hm... I will be there to mock your every move! It's a waste of your talent, son - truly, it's a waste of your effort! You think your family is disgraced now? Well, don't get me started... but you can rectify it, son, if you show some grace and acknowledge a stronger power! Put your efforts to use, son, and you can start by singing!

And that's when I heard them doors open again. I saw the stick-like teen, Ms. Lady Beerbohm, step gracefully through the door's frame. I looked over her hips that were no wider than my thigh, and I thought about being unclean with her. I reasoned that I'd be fighting the same fight, only in a different manner, and with a different weapon. You see, sometimes, people, the only way to win is to admit that you lose...

And you'll lose, too, 'cause that's the only way
But do it with grace and sing Hallelujah anyway

[Refrain: Both]
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

[Outro: Jay Munly]
Hallelujah anyway, Hallelujah anyway
Hallelujah anyway, Hallelujah anyway