Tune Of The Day: Tom Waits - Chocolate Jesus

Sunday 6 December 2020

Tom Waits - Chocolate Jesus

Second Sunday of Advent 2020

On the Second Sunday, the Gospel reading recalls the preaching of John the Baptist, who came to "prepare the way of the Lord"; the other readings have associated themes.

The readings for the second Sunday concern Christ's birth in a manger and other prophecies, so the candle may be called that of Bethlehem, the way, or of the prophets.

A classic tune that could fit the theme well is the tune "Chocolate Jesus" by Tom Waits, released on his thirteenth studio album "Mule Variations", released on April 16, 1999, on the ANTI- label. And since the release it has been covered by dozens of artists, most notably Beth Hart. The lyrics describe a boy who goes to a candy store every Sunday to get his fill of chocolate Jesus. No other candy will do—because “only a chocolate Jesus / Can satisfy my soul”; “it’s the only thing / That can pick me up.”

Waits said he was inspired to write this song after learning about Testamints, a candy product with a cross imprinted on it and a Bible verse on the wrapping. Amused, he thought he’d take it one step further. The song is commonly interpreted as a jab at those who use religion merely as a feel-good mechanism. Eating chocolate is known to release endorphins, or pleasure chemicals, in the brain; practicing religion can have the same effect, and it is this superficial pleasure experience that attracts some to the faith and sustains them in it. Those who have a taste for only the sweetness of a religion, suggests Waits, are like candy-addicted kids, dependent on sugar highs and undernourished. What of the cross that Jesus calls Christians to bear? What of social and moral responsibility? What of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” “Blessed are those who mourn,” and so on? What of the bitter pill of sin and its consequences? These aren’t so tasty, and so some Christians omit them from their diet.

Chocolate Jesus is the common name of a chocolate sculpture by Richard Manderson in 1994 who called it Trans-substantiation 2, by George Heslop in 2006 who called his work Jesus on the Cross and a third one by Cosimo Cavallaro in 2007 he called My Sweet Lord.