Rise Up

[Angels]
Jesus, it's years we've been climbing your mountain
Yes it's years we've been walking your road
Lord, it's been years, far too many for counting
With a lifetime of sin as our load
When will we rise up? And lay down our burden
Won't you tell me how long must we roll?
When will we rise up and lay down that burden
Tell me when will you gather us home?

[Jonas - spoken]
Good evening, New York!
Thank you for joining us on this
Our revival's third and final glorious night
I am the reverend Jonas Nightingale
And I know we've got a house full of sinners tonight
You sir, you're a sinner
Ma'am, you're sin on a stick
And you? You're wondering if you can leave at intermission
And commit even more sin
You're all sinners
Each and every one of you
But you can be saved

Tell me what do you do
When the world's a mess
And your life's in flux
Because the economy sucks
And you're stuck way down in the depths of dispair

[Angels - Sung] Rise up!

And what do you do when you're feeling the stress
And you've run out of hope and you just can't cope
And you're pretty damn sure you ain't got a prayer

[Angels - Sung] Rise up!
[Jonas - Sung]
See
The worse your troubles get
The deeper you feel you're sinking
The more your one sure bet is he who reigns on high
Because at your lowest low
You've only got one place to go

[Angels] Rise up!

[Jonas - spoken]
I don't blame you for lacking hope
But if you want to believe -
And I believe you do -
Then take your hands off your nieghbor's lap
Lift them high
'cause we're going to make a joyful noise

[Jonas-sung]
Singing that'll make the rafters rock
Stories that'll make your soul unlock
Even if you think it's all a crock
You'll rise up, you doubting thomases

Music that'll wipe away your blues
Preaching that you'll find you can't refuse
Though you're mostly athiests and jews
You'll rise up and give unto the lord

[Jonas - spoken]
Now you may not know it
But there is a reason you came here tonight
You're at a crossroads in life
I know, because it was only a year ago
That I myself stood at just such a rubicon
Out of money
Out of options
In a broken down bus
Right where the road to perdition hits the highway to nowhere
About 100 miles south of Topeka
Right outside a little town called..

Brother Amen?

[Brother Amen] Padre?
[Jonas] Where are we now?
[Brother Amen] Just outside of Sweetwater
[Jonas] Then Sweetwater is where we will pitch our tent
[Angel] Sam! Talk him down!
[Sam] Jonas, look around. These people, they've got nothing
[Jonas] Exactly

Fellas that have been laid off at the plants
Farmers who have lost their federal grants
All of them are desperate for a chance to rise up!

[Angel] Rev! We need a big score!
[Amen] There's nothing here but dust!
[Jonas] That's why it's perfect!

Men who've got no way to pay the rent
Wives who wonder where their savings went
Watch them offer up their last red cent to rise up!

[Sam] Jonas, it's a dying town, in a middle of a drought!
[Jonas] I got this
These folks are stone cold out of luck
And you know what they're hoping
That if they maybe throw the Lord a buck
He'll come and save their shirts
They'll be driving in from miles around
With hearts and wallets open
We'll make those suckers rise up
They'll give until it hurts

Anyone got a better idea?
[Cast] No
[Jonas] Good! Then unload the bus, set up the tent
And start spreading the word

Tell them I can set their children straight
Tell them I can help keep off the weight
Tell them that tonight right here at eight
They'll rise up and pass the plate around

Tell them I can make their conscious clear
Tell them I can make the rain appear
You tell them anything they need to hear
To rise up, rise up, and then we'll bleed them dry

[Cast]
Jesus, it's been years we've been climbing your mountain
It's been years we've been walking your road (Rise up, rise up!)
Lord it's been years, far too many for counting
With a lifetime of sin as our load
But we will rise up
And open up our hearts and pray to you
Rise up and say the words we long to say to you
Rise up and sing out each and every day to you

[Jonas]
Help the sinful find their way to you
If they've got cold cash to pay to you

[Angel] Bass!

Wait a minute!
If you want to rise up you have got to go higher (higher!)
Higher (higher!) higher (highter!)
[Amen] I can't hear you, let me hear you now
HIgher (higher!) higher (higher!)
[Angel] Let's go up just a little bit higher (higher!)
Higher (higher!) higher (higher!)
We don't need need no music

[Cast]
Rise up
And dedicate our every thing to you
Rise up
And offer all that we can pay to you
Rise up
And give whatever we can pay to you
Lift our voices to the skies, until that happy day
[Jonas] Come on, people
Rise up!

[Jonas] Now let's get out there and save some god damn souls!