I'm not feeling alright today
I'm not feeling that great
I'm not catching on fire today
Love has started to fade
I'm not going to smile today
I'm not gonna laugh
You're out living it up today
I've got dues to pay

And the gravedigger puts on the forceps
The stonemason does all the work
The barber can give you a haircut
The carpenter can take you out to lunch

Now I just want to play on my panpipes
I just want to drink me some wine
As soon as you're born you start dyin'
So you might as well have a good time, oh no

Sheep go to heaven
Goats go to hell
Sheep go to heaven
Goats go to hell

I don't wanna go to Sunset Strip
I don't wanna feel the emptiness
Old marquees with stupid band names
I don't wanna go to Sunset Strip

I don't wanna go to Sunset Strip
I don't wanna feel the emptiness
Old marquees with stupid band names
I don't wanna go to Sunset Strip

And the gravedigger puts on the forceps
The stonemason does all the work
The barber can give you a haircut
The carpenter can take you out to lunch

Now, but I just want to play on my panpipes
I just want to drink me some wine
As soon as you're born you start dyin'
So you might as well have a good time, oh no

Sheep go to heaven
Goats go to hell
Sheep go to heaven
Goats go to hell

Sheep go to heaven
Goats go to hell
Sheep go to heaven
Goats go to hell

Sheep go to heaven
Goats go to hell
Sheep go to heaven
Goats go to hell

Sheep go to heaven
Goats go to hell
Sheep go to heaven


Lyrics submitted by Ice, edited by gordon6003

Sheep Go to Heaven Lyrics as written by John M Mccrea

Lyrics © Stamen Music

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Sheep Go To Heaven song meanings
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128 Comments

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  • +4
    Song Meaning

    Matthew 25:31-34, 41 (King James Version) 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

    33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

    34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

    41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

    unicuberon October 05, 2010   Link
  • +3
    My Interpretation

    I think this song is about the exploration of deep sea power supplies and the sex industry in Fuji.

    Or not.

    m1keymike1on September 27, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    My sotry was a bit confused...Look at the Article clipping Form ANGLESDIE...Thats the right sotry...I apoligize immensely.

    SSJ3ALUCARDon June 01, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Its very simple- This song is about an angel and a demon expressing their views. It starts off with the angel paying his/her dues by praying and helping others. living the good life is hard, and at times love can fade away when you see alot of sick things. The devil or demon comes in and says, We are all going to die so lets have some fun. He wants to play on his pan pipes (which old illustrations of the devil shows a half man and half goat playing the panpipes.) The angel says I don't want this emptiness of going to sunset strip. Meaning-Why go to bars and waste your life on MINDLESS subject matters? The angel wants to lead the good life and not get burned. How I interpret the song? I like to believe it means- Work and have fun. Enjoy life or it will become mindless rubbish and help others out so they to can enjoy life with you.

    marvinoson August 28, 2012   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    (Non)conformity would seem to be a strong theme.

    The middle eight 'I don't wanna go to Sunset Strip . . .' may be a dig at the music industry. Sunset Strip clubs had started out in the 60s as a place for up and coming bands to get exposure, but by the 90s with the rise of land values and pop culture in LA the clubs were receiving payment by the big labels to showcase their latest marketable item - 'Old marquees with stupid band names'.

    In an interview with McCrea back then and he described how he loved recording and producing albums but loathed the business of touring. One would imagine he'd have contempt for such 'pay to play' arrangements. Cake value autonomy - they do their own production and have their own label.

    Or it could be that McCrea is simply a vessel through which God has called on us to reject Satan's enticements. If you turn the cover of Prolonging The Magic upside down you can see the Virgin Mary in the pig's backside.

    calzoneson February 02, 2013   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    For me, the song is about rejecting the "safe" or "usual" life, or embracing non-conformity, as calzones said.

    "I don't want to go to Sunset Strip, I don't want to feel the emptiness. Gold marquees with stupid band names."

    Using a band as the example here, you can live the safe life, but there will probably be an emptiness inside. You can make some money and know you'll be having your next meal or your bills were paid, or you can go do what's actually fun. In this case, probably driving out to the desert and having a fulfilling time singing around a small campfire with some friends, as opposed to playing Sunset Strip and basically only getting money for it.

    "I just want to play on my panpipes. I just want to drink me some wine. As soon as you're born you start dying, so you might as well have a good time."

    Using this to support the example, I'd rather go drink wine and play music for myself, than play for an audience that in at least some small way thinks they own me because they paid for a ticket.

    What I love about this song is the simple pagan metaphors. While others were being religious and doing what they were told was right, pagans would go out in the middle of the night, get a goat, tear it to shreds, eat it, drink wine and have an orgy. They are the ancient version of the previous example. They only had so much time to live, so rather than pleasing a deity or a monarch, they chose to please themselves.

    The Church obviously not a fan, and began to use goat features to portray the devil. As marvinos said, often a man's body with a goat features on its head and goat legs.

    And of course the obvious biblical reference. Jesus being the shepherd who cares for his sheep, the followers. The goats, who prefer to be on their own, won't be protected by the shepherd (upon death or a rapture).

    The pagans are fine with going to hell, they know they have this time to enjoy whether they go to hell or just die and that's it, spending their days shunned by those doing it the right way. The band members commit the egregious sin of not working, thus being shunned and shamed in a society that values its corporations more than its workers. There was a lot of money to be made by the studio, after all.

    My favorite part is at the end where going to hell is flipped around and the term "go to hell" is used to tell off "normal" society and show contentment with the choices to live a different life.

    ???? Part of me thinks the band just wanted to say "go to hell" over and over for fun. Similar to the end of Aerosmith's "Just Push Play".

    adamgrron October 18, 2022   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    whoever submitted these lyrics, have them all screwed up

    emoTHUG55on April 23, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    im working on getting the right lyrics for this song but i cant get the chorus...if anyone knows it leave it in a comment

    InfectionRXon April 25, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    thanx for the chorus! im almost done

    InfectionRXon April 25, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think i got the lyrics closer than the other one is, probably still not perfect though. sorry!

    GrlnGreenJacketon April 25, 2002   Link

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