[Verse 1]
It's the magic word they claim came down from ancient Babylon
When the tower of Babel crumbled and the language was all wrong
The natives were confused, and yet they understood one word
Now it's on display in a mall museum down in south Pittsburgh
[Chorus 1]
Kalhöun!
Everybody cry, "Kalhöun!"
[Verse 2]
Some preacher says it's the first word that Adam said to Eve
Religious tracts and bulletins note, "Speak it and believe"
Some say it's just deception, empty and absurd
While the elect say the last times were triggered by the word
[Chorus 2]
Kalhöun!
Yeah, everybody sing, "Kalhöun!"
Don't know exactly what it means
It's just a sacred kinda thing
Kalhöun!
[Verse 3]
Now when carpenters hit their thumbs, they yell out loud the "Kalhöun!" curse
And the faithful flock to PA to bow to Lord Kalhöun the first
He says "Messiah's in the desert," but a few of us won't go
We're going down to the Kalhöun church to pray it isn't so
[Chorus 3]
Kalhöun!
Everybody cry, "Kalhöun!"
Don't know exactly what it means
It's just a sacred kinda thing
Kalhöun!
[Bridge]
And even the president says it's a miracle
"Kalhöun!" the nation cries, "You're a miracle"
On baseball cards, beer, and cars and cereal
Kalhöun is the word
Now everybody's heard
Kalhöun!
[Verse 4]
Some politician has an idea to take a million men
Go to downtown Los Angeles and build the tower again
Why, nothing can stop us this time, we'll mount the word on high
Spell K-A-L-H-Ö-U-N across the steel grey sky
[Chorus 2]
Kalhöun!
Now everybody sing, "Kalhöun!"
Don't know exactly what it means
It's just a sacred kinda thing
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Kalhöun!
Terry Taylor says that this song is about nationalism and idolatry, a theme that recurs on the album Kalhoun:
The subtitle of this album is “Songs For A New West”, and we kind of got the idea that America was beginning to flex it’s muscles in the world, with the recent war going so successfully in...