The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
And when the Son of Man comes
And all the Holy Angels with Him
Then shall He sit on His glorious throne
And He will divide the nations before Him
As a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats
And He shall put the sheep on His right
And the goats on His left and He shall say to the sheep
Come ye, blessed of My Father inherit the Kingdom
I have prepared for you from the foundation of the world
For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat
I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink
I was naked, and you clothed Me, I was a stranger
And you invited Me in, I was sick, and I was in prison
And you came to Me, thank you, enter into your rest
And they shall answer Him, yes, they shall answer Him
And they'll say, Lord, when? When were You hungry Lord
And we gave You something to eat? Lord, when were You thirsty?
I can't remember and we gave You drink?
Huh, when were You naked Lord, and we clothed You?
And Lord, when were You a stranger and we invited You in?
I mean, we invited lots of people in Lord
I could never forget that face
And Lord, when were You sick and we visited You?
Or in prison, and we came to You? Lord, tell us?
In as much as you did it to the least of My brethren
You've done it unto Me, oh yes, as much as you've done it
To the very least of My brethren, you've done it
You've done it unto Me, enter into your rest
Then He shall turn to those on His left, the goats
Depart from Me, you cursed ones, into everlasting fire
Prepared for the devil and his angels
For I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat
I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink
I was naked, out in the cold, in exposure and you sent Me away
I was a stranger, and I knocked at your door
But you didn't open, you told Me to go away
I was sick, racked in pain upon My bed
And I begged and prayed, and pleaded that you'd come
But you didn't, I was in prison, and I rotted there
I'd prayed that you'd come, I heard your programs on the radio
I read your magazines, but you never came, depart from Me
Lord, there must be some mistake, when?
Lord, I mean, when were you hungry Lord
And we didn't give you something to eat?
And Lord, when were you thirsty, and we didn't give you drink?
I mean, that's not fair, well, would You like something now?
Would one of the Angels like to go out
And get the Lord a hamburger and a coke?
Oh, You're not hungry, yeah, I lost my appetite too
Uh, Lord uh, Lord, when were You naked?
I mean Lord, that's not fair either Lord
We didn't know what size you wear
Oh Lord, when were You a stranger Lord
You weren't one of those creepy people
Who used to come to the door, were You?
Oh Lord, that wasn't our ministry Lord
We just didn't feel led, You know?
Lord, when were You sick? What did You have, anyway?
Well, at least it wasn't fatal, oh, it was?
I'm sorry Lord, I would have sent You a card
Lord, just one last thing we want to know
When were You in prison Lord?
What were You in for anyway?
I had a friend in Leavenworth, enough
In as much as you've not done it unto the least of My brethren
You've not done it unto Me in as much as you've not done
It unto the least of My brethren you've not done it unto Me
Depart from me and these shall go away into everlasting fire
But the righteous into eternal life
And my friends, the only difference between
The sheep and the goats, according to this scripture
Is what they did, and didn't do
And all the Holy Angels with Him
Then shall He sit on His glorious throne
And He will divide the nations before Him
As a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats
And He shall put the sheep on His right
And the goats on His left and He shall say to the sheep
Come ye, blessed of My Father inherit the Kingdom
I have prepared for you from the foundation of the world
For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat
I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink
I was naked, and you clothed Me, I was a stranger
And you invited Me in, I was sick, and I was in prison
And you came to Me, thank you, enter into your rest
And they shall answer Him, yes, they shall answer Him
And they'll say, Lord, when? When were You hungry Lord
And we gave You something to eat? Lord, when were You thirsty?
I can't remember and we gave You drink?
Huh, when were You naked Lord, and we clothed You?
And Lord, when were You a stranger and we invited You in?
I mean, we invited lots of people in Lord
I could never forget that face
And Lord, when were You sick and we visited You?
Or in prison, and we came to You? Lord, tell us?
In as much as you did it to the least of My brethren
You've done it unto Me, oh yes, as much as you've done it
To the very least of My brethren, you've done it
You've done it unto Me, enter into your rest
Then He shall turn to those on His left, the goats
Depart from Me, you cursed ones, into everlasting fire
Prepared for the devil and his angels
For I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat
I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink
I was naked, out in the cold, in exposure and you sent Me away
I was a stranger, and I knocked at your door
But you didn't open, you told Me to go away
I was sick, racked in pain upon My bed
And I begged and prayed, and pleaded that you'd come
But you didn't, I was in prison, and I rotted there
I'd prayed that you'd come, I heard your programs on the radio
I read your magazines, but you never came, depart from Me
Lord, there must be some mistake, when?
Lord, I mean, when were you hungry Lord
And we didn't give you something to eat?
And Lord, when were you thirsty, and we didn't give you drink?
I mean, that's not fair, well, would You like something now?
Would one of the Angels like to go out
And get the Lord a hamburger and a coke?
Oh, You're not hungry, yeah, I lost my appetite too
Uh, Lord uh, Lord, when were You naked?
I mean Lord, that's not fair either Lord
We didn't know what size you wear
Oh Lord, when were You a stranger Lord
You weren't one of those creepy people
Who used to come to the door, were You?
Oh Lord, that wasn't our ministry Lord
We just didn't feel led, You know?
Lord, when were You sick? What did You have, anyway?
Well, at least it wasn't fatal, oh, it was?
I'm sorry Lord, I would have sent You a card
Lord, just one last thing we want to know
When were You in prison Lord?
What were You in for anyway?
I had a friend in Leavenworth, enough
In as much as you've not done it unto the least of My brethren
You've not done it unto Me in as much as you've not done
It unto the least of My brethren you've not done it unto Me
Depart from me and these shall go away into everlasting fire
But the righteous into eternal life
And my friends, the only difference between
The sheep and the goats, according to this scripture
Is what they did, and didn't do
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
The Sheep & The Goats Lyrics as written by Keith Gordon Green
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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