The Jesus House Song

I'm starting to get ready for the Jesus House Reunion. This is occurring on May 2.

There will be a lot of folks playing music for the day. I'm trying to get a handle on what I will play for my half hour set.

I understand Mike Wilshire is coming for the day. Although he is not aware of it I learned a lot about playing guitar from him and also have sung many of his songs at prior reunions and during those days way back when.

So this time I'm concentrating on my own songs and I'll sit back and enjoy listening to Brother Wilshire's music. I'm really looking forward to seeing Sally, too.

I've already mentioned my one real song that I recently finished, Where Have They Gone, in a previous post from back in February of this year. I spent a couple of days putting some lyrics together to Chuck Berry's old standard, Memphis. I consider this sort of a "throw-away song" since it's probably going to be done only once. Besides I didn't write the tune. But as I always say, "Plagerism is the sincerest form of flattery."

The Memphis shuffle is probably the first thing that all young up and coming guitar players learn since it involves a fairly easy to play. My lyrics are based on how I actually came to play at the Jesus House for the very first time which lead to playing there many, many other times.

Now it is probably not widely known why I seemed to show up there so often, but what happened usually was that I would be sitting at home on a Saturday afternoon and about 4 pm the phone would ring. Mom would say, "Markie, it's for you." (Mom called me Markie.) It was inevitably Terry Fisher and he would say something to the effect of, (close your eyes and think of Terry's voice), "Heh-heh...Marc...uh, heh-heh...you know Rising Hope was supposed to play here tonight...but..a...they all have come down with a serious case of the cold-robbies. We need someone to play tonight. You doin' anything?"

I was always glad to get the call. Although I never actually had time to practice, it was a joy to throw the guitar in the car and drive on up to spend Saturday night at Mount Healthy's greatest establishment with the greatest people in the world.

So with that said, you all know the tune and here are my lyrics:

When I was just eighteen years old,
The Father said to me.
"Now that you're a Jesus Freak,
go play some music."
I went to Cincinnati
and told my friends you see.
They said go to the Jesus House
it's out in Mount Healthy.

So I drove up to this big white house
and I walked inside the door.
There were lot's of people everywhere,
sittin' on the floor.
On stage there was this hairy guy
with a great big happy grin.
He said, " 'you play guitar?
Well come up here my friend."

So I played a song called Praise the Lord
and one called Allelu.
I sang about Simon Peter and
how much I Love You.
When I think back to those happy days,
it brings back memories.
Of being at the Jesus House
out in Mount Healthy.