The Mystical Politics of Jesus; An Ode to Kristofferson's Song, ''Jesus Was a Capricorn''
The Mystical Politics of Jesus: An Ode to Kristofferson’s Song,
“Jesus Was a Capricorn”
By Ricky Vinson
Addressing the provocative Kris Kristofferson song “Jesus Was a Capricorn,” I will mention the mere title of another like-themed song, “I Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’ To Die Rag,” performed by folk-rock-political musician Country Joe McDonald at the historically pivotal Woodstock Festival, August 1969—simply to serve as food thought, no distraction intended.
Still, from my perspective, to dissect properly the lyrics of “Jesus Was a Capricorn,” it is imperative to establish first a guideline: Not confusing the definition of the word “ethnocentrism” with the definitions of words such as “bias,” “prejudice,” and “discrimination.”
Kristofferson’s song leads one to connect biblical stories with contemporary ones. If Jesus, indeed, was a Capricorn, it might explain why he, at the very least, set the standard for complexity: Faddishly rebellious, down-to-earth, did not cull anyone, caring, intent on making a difference, willing to take the heat when politics morphed from clean-cut, genteel compatibility to Pop Culture, anarchistic—though righteously necessarily—Helter Skelter: A leader, in today’s terms. A 1972 song, in this case, the apropos “Jesus Was a Capricorn,” is as relevant today as it was over 40 years ago, especially when politics and the “heads” of those “Baptistical Johns” still can be served on a pretty, bastardly silver platter. We only can hope that President Obama, America’s first African-American president (however, his mother is white) will pray for, and attain, a portion of these characteristics. Too, “Get back, John!” a line from the song, suggests the pitfalls awaiting those who seeks pleasures of the flesh, as opposed to doing the right thing(s). John, better known as John the Baptist, a rough-and-rugged type, was Jesus’ first cousin; John’s primary mission was to prepare the masses for the message to be spread by Jesus. Sadly enough, the
“Jesus Was a Capricorn”
By Ricky Vinson
Addressing the provocative Kris Kristofferson song “Jesus Was a Capricorn,” I will mention the mere title of another like-themed song, “I Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’ To Die Rag,” performed by folk-rock-political musician Country Joe McDonald at the historically pivotal Woodstock Festival, August 1969—simply to serve as food thought, no distraction intended.
Still, from my perspective, to dissect properly the lyrics of “Jesus Was a Capricorn,” it is imperative to establish first a guideline: Not confusing the definition of the word “ethnocentrism” with the definitions of words such as “bias,” “prejudice,” and “discrimination.”
Kristofferson’s song leads one to connect biblical stories with contemporary ones. If Jesus, indeed, was a Capricorn, it might explain why he, at the very least, set the standard for complexity: Faddishly rebellious, down-to-earth, did not cull anyone, caring, intent on making a difference, willing to take the heat when politics morphed from clean-cut, genteel compatibility to Pop Culture, anarchistic—though righteously necessarily—Helter Skelter: A leader, in today’s terms. A 1972 song, in this case, the apropos “Jesus Was a Capricorn,” is as relevant today as it was over 40 years ago, especially when politics and the “heads” of those “Baptistical Johns” still can be served on a pretty, bastardly silver platter. We only can hope that President Obama, America’s first African-American president (however, his mother is white) will pray for, and attain, a portion of these characteristics. Too, “Get back, John!” a line from the song, suggests the pitfalls awaiting those who seeks pleasures of the flesh, as opposed to doing the right thing(s). John, better known as John the Baptist, a rough-and-rugged type, was Jesus’ first cousin; John’s primary mission was to prepare the masses for the message to be spread by Jesus. Sadly enough, the