Album: Prolonging the Magic (1998)

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• I'm not feeling alright today
  I'm not feeling that great
  I'm not catching on fire today
  Love has started to fade
  I'm not going to smile today
  I'm not gonna laugh
  You're out living it up today
  I've got dues to pay
  
  And the gravedigger puts on the forceps
  The stonemason does all the work
  The barber can give you a haircut
  The carpenter can take you out to lunch
  
  Now I just want to play on my panpipes
  I just want to drink me some wine
  As soon as you're born you start dyin'
  So you might as well have a good time, oh no
  
  Sheep go to heaven
  Goats go to hell
  Sheep go to heaven
  Goats go to hell
  
  I don't wanna go to Sunset Strip
  I don't wanna feel the emptiness
  Old marquees with stupid band names
  I don't wanna go to Sunset Strip
  
  I don't wanna go to Sunset Strip
  I don't wanna feel the emptiness
  Old marquees with stupid band names
  I don't wanna go to Sunset Strip
  
  And the gravedigger puts on the forceps
  The stonemason does all the work
  The barber can give you a haircut
  The carpenter can take you out to lunch
  
  Now, but I just want to play on my panpipes
  I just want to drink me some wine
  As soon as you're born you start dyin'
  So you might as well have a good time, oh no
  
  Sheep go to heaven
  Goats go to hell
  Sheep go to heaven
  Goats go to hell
  
  Sheep go to heaven
  Goats go to hell
  Sheep go to heaven
  Goats go to hell
  
  Sheep go to heaven
  Goats go to hell
  Sheep go to heaven
  Goats go to hell
  
  Sheep go to heaven
  Goats go to hell
  Sheep go to heaven Writer/s: JOHN M MCCREA
  Publisher: Stamen Music
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 6

• Kurt from TexasLol, it's a fun song, good for a laugh but don't take yourselves too seriously in the commentary. Check your source for frigs sake, goats are not unclean.
  According to the OT split hoof and cud chewing clean? Okay, lol. Split hoof, no cud, Mr Piggy, unclean, lol> That a--hide... crank up the tune and the bbq and let's eat, I'm famished.
• Omaha Tim from The Middle1. The sheep / goat reference is a friggin' analogy because Jesus was analogized as a shepherd.
  2. Animals with cloven feet are considered unclean to eat. Old Testament. Way before Jesus and other sanitary measures like cooking temperature. From the era that brought us circumcision and bathing in running water.
  3. If you are going to post or write songs about scripture, you should prolly understand the script.
  4. Love this song!
  5. Love this band!
  6. God loves goats. Who doesn't?
• Jared from AusThis song also has links to absurdist theatre, in Samuel becketts 'Waiting for Godot' (1948-1949) it states "the grave digger puts on the forceps" this it a direct link to the concept of being enlisted to die at birth, forceps are used (or at least were used in the time of the plays writing) to deliver a child. Implying you were born to die, which kinda links into the whole song
• Colin from EarthYou guys have the right idea but seem to be missing some very blunt Christian/Pagan imagery. "The carpenter can take you out to lunch" Jesus was a carpenter, and the good sheep will dine with Him in Heaven.
  
  Conversely, Pan was the Greek half man/half goat (satyr) diety of wine and revelry, and the namesake of the panpipes. The singer is making it plain he wants to have a good time like a goat-legged pagan party god and doesn't care for being a good sheep.
• Kerry Ditson from Shrewsbury, MaThis song always reminded me of death, with the "gravedigger puts on the forceps" (pretty obvious), "The stonemason does all the work" (tombstone) "The barber will give you a haircut" (Cutting the hair of the dead/making them look nice before burial) "The carpenter will take you out to lunch" (Coffin). I think it's about the singer coming to terms with the death of someone he loved, and wondering what happened to them.
• Jas from Clifton, TxThis song is oddly pretty ingenious. I really like the whole theme of the song, that society will judge you based on things like outward appearances regardless of the fact that you can't change who you are without being totally artificial. Why worry about what people think when they are only going to see things their way anyway?

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