Judas Saves
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"So, while most of these stories have come from the Old Testament, we left the Jesus, Mary and all that 'dying for your sins' nonsense for the end, but as you might expect, our version is just a little different. It's the unsung story of the sadly misunderstood man who made Jesus what he is today. The man without whom Hitler would have no hero, and Benedict Arnold no role model. For our finale, we present the one and only, the incomparable JUDAS."
– Mr. Skull at the Fillmore
Judas Saves (previously under working titles "Log Dam", "Jesus Fasts", and "Jesus Saves") is a song from The Residents' 1998 album Wormwood: Curious Stories from the Bible, sung from the perspective of Judas, following the popular theory in which his betrayal of Jesus Christ is viewed as a crucial part of God's plan for the salvation of His people. The song also closes the Wormwood Live main show.
Background
"Judas Saves" began life as a longer track titled "Jesus Saves", sung from the perspective of Jesus Christ bitterly resenting his role as God's martyr, and the people who hysterically believed in him. Two versions of the song are heard on the Wormwood Box. These versions feature new intros and outros, with the original outro featuring a graphic depiction of Jesus' crucifixion. One of these takes leaked onto the internet in 2010.
The album version was rearranged into a much slower and reflective version for the Wormwood Live show, which is sung by Mr. Skull in long white robes. After the two verses and a noisy instrumental build-up, the pace is picked up with the sampled "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah. The song is closed off with a brief quotation of the "God motif" from "Revelation" and a recitation of the hymn "Jesus Loves Me".
The song was performed live on the Shadowland mini-tour of Europe in 2014, but was later cut from the setlist.
Album notes
According to the New Testament, God has sent Jesus to earth to spread word of the power of love. Unfortunately for Jesus, he also has to die for the sins of man. Though not stated, the implication is that God not only needs Jesus, the teacher, but also Judas, the hit man. Judas hears the calling and realizes the request is too important to refuse: he must betray Jesus for the salvation of mankind. Evidently, Jesus is fully aware of the entire plan God has laid out and, perhaps, feels sympathy for Judas. Judas betrays Jesus by kissing him -- one final intimate moment in recognition of their love and pact to save mankind.
Look it up. Mark 14:17-46
Lyrics
I hear a voice I hear a voice Calling, calling, calling me...
With a voice inside my head, He spoke to me and softly said, "Perfection ends when life begins but it can come back again."
I hear a voice I hear a voice Calling, calling, calling me...
Then He said, if I could hide my faith inside my broken pride, He would find complete success where innocence embraces death.
I hear a voice I hear a voice Calling, calling, calling me...
Now it is so clear; He must appear to be betrayed so we can be saved. (Who are, who are, who are you?) (Who are, who are, who are you?) No one can see clearly but me. I know I must answer the call. I know I must answer the call. I know I must answer the call. I know I must answer the call.
Jesus Saves (version 1)
(presumably sung by Jesus Christ)
I see the twinkle every wrinkle wraps around their eyes and hear the happy sound of smiling in their simple sighs. They celebrate my specialness and think that I am blessed with attitudes of innocence affected by my death. Humiliation hangs upon my body like a whore who hates the cum upon her face and hates herself much more.
Was there a choice? Was there a voice? Why am I here? (Was there a choice?) Why am I here? (Was there a voice?) Why am I here? (Was there a choice?) Why am I here? (Was there a voice?)
I hear a voice I feel a choice I hear a voice I feel a choice Calling, calling, calling me...
It said that I could find success where innocence embraces death, so I should carefully decide what I should hide before I die.
I hear a voice I feel a choice I hear a voice I feel a choice Calling, calling, calling to me... I hear a voice I feel a choice I hear a voice I feel a voice I hear a voice I hear a voice Who are, who are, who are you? Who are, who are, who are you? Who are, who are, who are you? I know I must answer the call.
I watched the crowds erupting into rotting rows of dung, sucking on my bleeding skin like blisters full of cum, feeding on an image like a leaching lump of fat the way a mound of maggots like to liquidate a rat. How can there be a God allowing scum to come and beg to see the mucus falling from my mouth down to my leg? At least the corpse remaining, when its essence has been drained, will find some freedom from this grim malignancy of pain. Still I can't escape the thought that even when I'm dead, the answer that is cancer will undoubtedly be spread!
Jesus Saves (version 2)
Again, presumably sung by Jesus Christ, although the altered persons in the introductory verse make it unclear.
The epilogue verse depicting the crucifixion is sung by Mr. Skull.
I see the twinkle every wrinkle wraps around his eyes. I hear the happy sound of smiling in his simple sighs. He celebrates my specialness and thinks that I am blessed with attitudes of innocence affected by my death. Humiliation hangs upon my body like a whore who hates the cum upon her face and hates herself much more.
Why am I here? Why am I here? (Was there a choice?) Why am I here? (Was there a voice?) Why am I here? (Was there a choice?) Why am I here? (Was there a voice?)
I heard a voice I felt a choice I heard a voice I felt a choice Calling, calling, calling me...
With an urgent sound instead of a voice inside my head, it said, "Perfection ends when life begins but it can come back again."
I heard a voice I felt no choice I heard a voice I felt a choice Calling, calling, calling me...
He said, if I could simply hide the pain inside until I died, I would find complete success where innocence embraces death.
Was there a voice? Was there a choice? Was there a voice? Was there a choice? Calling, calling, calling to me... Where is the voice? Where is the voice? Where is the voice? Where is the voice? There was no choice There was no choice Who are, What are, Why are you? Who are, What are, Why are you? Who knew I must answer the call? I knew I must answer the call!
He watched the clouds erupting into blisters full of cum as the rabble salivated from their twitching tongues. Could there be a god allowing scum to come and beg to see the mucus falling from his mouth down to his leg, sucking on his image like a greasy mound of fat, consuming him like maggots liquidate a lifeless rat? At least the corpse remaining, when his essence had been drained, found some freedom from its grim malignancy of pain. Still we wonder if he knew that, after he was dead, the answer like a cancer would relentlessly be spread.
Appearances
- Wormwood (1998) [Version 1]
- I Hate Heaven (1998) [Version 1]
- Wormwood Live 1999 (1999) [Version 2]
- Roadworms (2000) [Version 3]
- Kettles of Fish on the Outskirts of Town (2003) [Version 3]
- The Residents Play Wormwood (2005) [Version 4]
- Shadowland (2015) [Version 5]
- Wormwood Box (2022) [Version 1] [Version 6] [Version 7]
Versions
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Wormwood album version (3:55)
- ↑ Wormwood Live recording; Europe, Summer 1999 (12:01)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Roadworms studio version; recorded in Berlin, 1999, mixed in 2000 (8:51)
- ↑ Footage of Wormwood Live webcast in Bonn, Germany (7:56)
- ↑ Shadowland version; Nantes, France, May 2014 (4:47)
- ↑ "Log Dam" instrumental demo (3:53)
- ↑ Shadowland version; Laussanne, Switzerland, May 2014 (4:47)