God Said No

Dan Bern

I met God on the edge of town

Where the wind meets the stillness

Where the darkness meets the light

Where the ocean meets the sky

Where the desert meets the rain

Where the earth meets the heavens

On the edge of town I met God



I asked God

Do one thing for me

Send me back in time

Send me to Seattle

Let me go

Find Kurt Cobain

Take away his gun

Take away his bullets

Talk to him

Make him wanna live

Tell him how we love him

Help him see his glory



God said no

If I sent you back

If you really found him

You would only ask him

If he could

Help you get a deal

If he knows a lawyer

If he can help you

God said no



I asked God

Do one thing for me

Send me back in time

Send me to Berlin

Let me find

The one they call Hitler

I will stalk him

I will bring him down

I will bring along

A powerful gun

Loaded with bullets

Obliterate his memory



God said no

If I sent you back

You would get caught up

In theory and discussion

You would let your fears

Delay and distract you

You would make friends

You would take a lover

God said no



I asked God

Do one thing for me

Send me back in time

Send me to Jerusalem

Let me go

Let me go find Jesus

Let me save his life

As they try to kill him

Let me take him down

Down from the cross

Take the iron from his body

Try to heal his wounds



God said no

If I let you go

If you really found him

Walking with the cross

You would stare

Your tongue no longer working

Eyes no longer seeing

Ears no longer hearing



God said time

Time belongs to me

Time's my secret weapon

My final advantage

God turned away

From the edge of town

I knew I was beaten

And that now was all I had

God said no