[Intro] There was a man in a white suit Selling umbrellas in a drought. He said, “Prayer is a doorbell.” Then the sky laughed. [Verse 1] Tin roof twitch with a toothache rhythm Old man grinning with a bootleg vision Three wet dollars in a coffee can Said he bought his mercy from a radio man Slick black hair with a choirboy curl Gold tooth shining like a stolen pearl He slapped the pulpit in a pool hall booth Said, “God owes me one. I’ve been telling the truth.” But the truth came dressed like a county clerk Cheap pen, bent tie, paperwork Stamped him once on the left-hand side Said, “Boy, your mouth wrote checks your soul denied.” [Pre-Chorus] He said, Lord, I yelled till the wires shook Lord, I bled on the offering plate The clouds bent low The dogs went still Then the whole sky made him wait [Chorus] [big pop-funk hook] [falsetto lift] [gospel choir hits] God don’t answer every holler Sometimes thunder is all he does You keep begging for the water While the roof learns how to flood God don’t answer every holler Sometimes thunder is all he does Some doors ain’t locked by demons Some get shut because of love [Post-Chorus] Bang bang, ceiling got teeth Ha ha, count your receipts Bang bang, knees on dust Ask for gold, get rust [Verse 2] There was a woman with a suitcase Bible Pressed pink flowers in a court file spiral Said she saw Christ at the county fair Riding the Ferris wheel, eating cold air She had nine bad omens in a Mason jar One dead phone and a borrowed car Told the preacher, “I need one sign.” He said, “Read the rain on the power line.” Then the lights did a two-step flicker Choir got quiet, bass got thicker Little boy laughed with a mouth full of cake Said, “Some folks pray when they want a break.” But grace ain’t a bellhop, grace ain’t tame Grace don’t dance for a stage-lit claim Grace walked past with mud on its shoes And left no map for the ones who choose [Pre-Chorus] She said, Lord, I begged till my breath went bent Lord, I crawled till my pride went numb The clouds bent low The dogs went still Then the whole sky beat the drum [Chorus] [big pop-funk hook] [falsetto lift] [gospel choir hits] God don’t answer every holler Sometimes thunder is all he does You keep begging for the water While the roof learns how to flood God don’t answer every holler Sometimes thunder is all he does Some doors ain’t locked by demons Some get shut because of love [Breakdown] Now watch the man in the white suit. He climbs on a chair. He points at the storm. He calls it rude. He says, “I asked for a blessing.” The storm says nothing. He says, “I asked for a ladder.” The storm says nothing. He says, “I asked for a reason.” Then the roof caves in like it heard enough. [Verse 3] [beat returns hard] [fast theatrical rap] [call and response choir] Now he’s knee-deep, neck-stiff, lip-split, rain-sick Counting every sin with a bent church candlestick Laughing like a rat in a wedding coat Trying to keep heaven in a headlock choke Choir said, “Run.” Bass said, “Stay.” Drums said, “Debt comes due today.” Rain wrote scripture on the glass outside No verse numbers, no place to hide He saw his face in the vending machine Ten years younger, twice as mean Saw every bargain, every borrowed plea Saw the small locked room where his heart should be Then boom went the roof Boom went the pride Boom went the clean little tale he supplied Boom went the man he swore he was Thunder don’t preach Thunder does [Final Chorus] God don’t answer every holler Sometimes thunder is all he does You keep begging for the water While the roof learns how to flood God don’t answer every holler Sometimes thunder is all he does Some doors ain’t locked by demons Some get shut because of love [Outro] There was a man in a white suit Selling umbrellas in a drought. He charged half price after the roof came down.
