[Verse 1]
Close friend of mine as a child
Fell into a slumber
No sign of life since '75
Then one day, he just
What do you know?
I guess God just called his number

[Verse 2]
Ooh, he called me up, he called me up and said
"I've been awake about a week
I'm thinkin' 'bout askin' the doctor
If he could put me back to sleep"
Then he laughed and said
"Hey, all the girls look the same (Same)
Don't they know just what their mothers
Paid in blood and tears to change?"

[Chorus]
But the words that made me cry
The thing he softly said
It stayed with me
It keeps messin' with my head
He said, "If Jesus Christ is alive and well
Then how come John and Elvis are dead?"
[Verse 3]
Youth, beautiful youth
We walked through the walls
Until we found the truth
And said, "Change it. It's ugly, just change it"
Everyone we used to know
Must have given up so long ago
You can see it
It's written on their faces
And the inside of their clothes

[Chorus]
But the words that made me cry
'Cause I knew just what they meant
He turned to me and said
"Hey boy, if Jesus Christ is alive and well
Then how come John and Elvis are dead?"

[Outro]
"Tell me, if Jesus Christ is alive and well
Then how come Marvin and Elvis are dead?"
I said, "If Jesus Christ is gonna save us from ourselves
Then how come peace, love and Elvis are dead?"