Leonard Bernstein
IX. Gospel-Sermon: “God Said”
[PREACHER]
God said: “Let there be light.”
And there was light
[STREET Chorus]
God said: “Let there be night.”
And there was night
[PREACHER]
God said: “Let there be day.”
And there was day …
[STREET Chorus]
… day to follow the night
[PREACHER]
And it was good, brother …
[PREACHER AND STREET Chorus]
And it was good, brother …
[PREACHER]
And it was good, brother …
[PREACHER AND STREET Chorus]
And it was goddam good
[PREACHER]
God said: “Let there be storms.”
Storms to bring life …
[STREET Chorus]
… life in all of its forms
Forms such as herds …
[PREACHER]
… herds and gaggles and swarms
Swarms that have names …
[STREET Chorus]
… names and numbers and norms
[PREACHER]
And it was good, brother …
[PREACHER AND STREET Chorus]
And it was good, brother …
[PREACHER]
And it was good, brother …
[PREACHER AND STREET Chorus]
And it was goddam good
[PREACHER]
God said: “Let there be gnats.”
Lеt there be sprats …
[STREET Chorus]
… sprats to gobblе the gnats
So that the sprats …
[PREACHER]
… sprats may nourish the rats
Making them fat …
[STREET Chorus]
… fat, fine food for the cats
[PREACHER]
And they grew fat, brother …
[PREACHER AND STREET Chorus]
And they grew fat, brother …
[PREACHER]
All but the gnats, brother …
[PREACHER AND STREET Chorus]
They all grew fearful fat
[PREACHER]
And God saw it was good
[STREET Chorus]
God made it be good …
[PREACHER]
Created it good …
[STREET Chorus]
Created the gnats …
[PREACHER]
… gnats to nourish the sprats …
[STREET Chorus]
… sprats to nourish the rats …
[PREACHER]
And all for us big fat cats
[STREET Chorus]
… us cats!
[PREACHER AND STREET Chorus]
Yow!
[STREET Chorus]
And it was good
[FIRST SOLO AND STREET Chorus]
God said it’s good to be poor
Good men must not be secure;
So if we steal from you
It’s just to help you stay pure
[SOLOIST AND STREET Chorus]
And it was good
[SECOND SOLO AND STREET Chorus]
God said take charge of my zoo
I made these creatures for you;
So He won’t mind if we
Wipe out a species or two
[SOLOIST AND STREET Chorus]
And it was good
[THIRD SOLO AND STREET CHORUS'
God said to spread His commands
To folks in faraway lands;
They may not want us there
But, man, it’s out of our hands
[SOLOIST AND STREET Chorus]
And it was good
[FOURTH SOLO AND STREET Chorus]
God said that sex should repulse
Unless it leads to results;
And so we crowd the world
Full of consenting adults
[SOLOIST AND STREET Chorus]
And it was good
[FIFTH SOLO AND STREET Chorus]
God said it’s good to be meek
And so we are once a week;
It may not mean a lot
But oh, it’s terribly chic
[SOLOIST AND STREET Chorus]
And it was good
[PREACHER AND STREET Chorus]
God made us the boss
God gave us the cross
We turned it into a sword
To spread the Word of the Lord
We use His holy decrees
To do whatever we please
[STREET Chorus]
Yeah!
[PREACHER AND STREET Chorus]
And it was good! Yeah!
And it was goddam good!
[PREACHER]
God said: “Let there be light.”
And there was light
[STREET Chorus]
God said: “Let there be night.”
And there was night
[PREACHER]
God said: “Let there be day.”
And there was day …
[STREET Chorus]
… day to follow the night
[PREACHER]
And it was good, brother …
[PREACHER AND STREET Chorus]
And it was good, brother …
And it was …