Story Behind The Song

My parents gave me a beautifully illiustrated book of this story, and i have always identified with the guy who resists the humbling and unpleasant work ahead of him. I can totally picture this guy walking along, having an animated conversation with God, gesticulating frantically, looking like a lunatic from a distance. We've all been there, right?

Song Description

Musically, this song recalls Jack Straw or early Elvis Costello, and the lyrics dramaticize Jonah's lack of enthusiasm for the messy, thankless task of preaching to the Ninevites. This song presents Jonah's attitude as similar to that of a NIMBY suburbanite who doesn't really care if the inner city burns to the ground as long as the grass is green in the cul de sac. "the guys were shootin dice when the sky got stormy and they must have thought twice when they thought that they knew that it was coming for me but after that discreditible incident with the whale i was on my way to ninevah ..... so now i'm sitting outside of ninevah with a sixpack and a gunrack and i'm waiting for the firestorm to begin"

Lyrics

the guys were shootin dice when the sky got stormy
and they must have thought twice when they thought that they knew that it was coming for me
but after that discreditible incident with the whale i was on my way
to ninevah

i know exactly what you're saying
i know but i aint been praying

i don't know why but the lord reckons higher fools to the plant that was shade from the sun beatin down on me
cause i've been through these streets like a fool
down on my knees with the scorn of the wicked raining down on me

i know exactly what i'm supposed to
i know - but i just don't wants to

and isn't that where your attention's supposed to be
exactly where your heart is baby
where your heart is
and you knew i was qualified so you called on me
exactly where your heart is baby

so now i'm sitting outside of ninevah
with a sixpack and a gunrack
and i'm waiting for the firestorm to begin