I was born in a religious town That had a very good name Everybody wore their faith around Like a ball and chain People living so carefully Trying to keep the image clean But underneath all the sanctity Things were not what they seemed, oh, no Salvation was nice and neat It had four little laws And that arrangement was fine with me 'Cause it didn't really cost nothin' But something that I read in my Bible one day Really shook my world Jesus was talking 'bout Pharisees He was talking 'bout me So I fell to my knees and said Shake me to wake me I've been living too long in this fantasy Shake me to wake me Got to strip this man of mediocrity Sometimes, when my heart is proud I get full of myself Self-righteousness will bring you down I ain't better than nobody else Other times, I drink the wine of complacency I get comfortable, lackadaisical, so cynical
So I call to my Lord and say Shake me to wake me I've been living too long within this fantasy Shake me to wake me You've got to strip this man of mediocrity You were born in a religious town That had a very good name You were wearing your faith around Like a ball and chain You've been living so carefully Trying to keep the image clean But Jesus is talking 'bout Pharisees About you and me You better fall to your knees and say Shake me to wake me I've been living too long within this fantasy Shake me to wake me You've got to strip this man of mediocrity Shake me to wake me I've been living too long within this fantasy Shake me to wake me I been sleeping too long, put some fire in me Put some fire in me Oh, You got to shake me Oh, You got to wake me, Lord Lost in a fantasy