come listen gentle christians and you jews and gentiles too and all denominations a song i sing to you it s all about a young man a rebel through and through down among the bushes of jerusalem jerusalem jerusalem down among the bushes of jerusalem born of honest parents and below a shining star the word went round the country and they came from near and far the royal family worried he might undermine their power down among the bushes of jerusalem they slaughtered all the children every one that they could find just that they be sure that they would kill the rebel child but somehow he deceived them all the soldiers fierce and wild down among the bushes of jerusalem jerusalem jerusalem down among the bushes of jerusalem he grew into a strapping lad and helped around the home but voices they kept calling and he was inclined to roam the losers and boozers he would count among his own down among the bushes of jerusalem as far as i can see you see the pharisee did say you know your bible fairly well you ll make a priest someday but you d better tow the line me boy or there ll be hell to pay down among the bushes of jerusalem jerusalem jerusalem down among the bushes of jerusalem he met the mary magdalen a lovely girl was she o look who s comin now they said the girl of no degree i d rather have her near to me more than your hypocrisy down among the bushes of jerusalem he went into the churches and he saw the shining gold and people there were starvin of the hunger and the cold he talked about injustice just be careful he was told down among the bushes of jerusalem jerusalem jerusalem down among the bushes of jerusalem  now if you are a rebel and no judas he did say come burn the roman empire down we ll change the flag today it s the human heart i m changing this young rebel he did say down among the bushes of jerusalem we re taking him to calvary it s easier you see than try and turn the other cheek and love thine enemy we re loyal to our own crowd to our scribes and pharisee down among the bushes of jerusalem jerusalem jerusalem down among the bushes of jerusalem 