General Hymns

The public hymnal of the Church of Common Sense.

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Hymn

The Only Rule Worth Keeping

Canticle (Long Form) — Church of Common Sense

Verse 1
We gathered here, not high nor low,
No robes, no crown, no holy show.
Just people tryin' to live and think--
And not make life a stinkin' stink.

Chorus
Don't be a dick, that's all we preach,
No ancient scroll, no soul to bleach.
If kindness fails, take one more try--
And leave the world less dumb when you die.

Verse 2
No tithes to pay, no sin to sell,
No fiery pits, no pearly shell.
Just share your beer, your truth, your wit--
And own your crap when you step in it.

Bridge
When fools declare they've seen the light,
Remember: lamps can blind at night.
A spark of sense will serve you best--
When morals break, apply this test:

Chorus (repeat)
Don't be a dick, it's plain and neat,
No saint required, no judgment seat.
One golden rule, no need for tricks--
Common sense says: Don't be a dick.

Outro
So raise your glass, your mind, your hand,
To logic, laughter, and this band.
For heaven's not a place you pick--
It's how you live: don't be a dick.

Hymn II

How Not to Be a Dick

Canticle (Long Form) — Church of Common Sense

(To be sung in any key where the truth still sounds good.)

Verse 1:
When the world feels small and cruel,
And every fool’s a mirror,
Pause your tongue, recall the rule—
Kindness makes things clearer.

Chorus:
Don’t be a dick, it’s easy, you’ll see—
Hold doors for the weary, let others be free.
A moment of grace is a lifetime of peace,
And fools find no joy when their tempers increase.

Verse 2:
If someone trips, don’t mock the fall,
You’ll stumble soon, my friend.
The laughter kind should lift us all,
Not wound to prove you win.

Chorus (repeat)
Don’t be a dick, it’s simple and fair—
No soul grows taller by climbing despair.
The loudest ego is the smallest of men,
Be kind, then kind again.

Bridge:
The world’s a test of patience thin,
A crowded bus, a storm within.
So breathe, don’t bite, and keep your grin—
That’s where decency begins.

Final refrain:
Don’t be a dick, sing it proud and plain—
The wise plant peace and harvest no pain.
If common sense be holy writ,
Then love is law, and that’s the bit.

Hymn III

The Other Guy's Story Ain't Yours

Canticle (Long Form) — Church of Common Sense

(For the practice of empathy and restraint.)

Verse 1:
Every stranger you pass on the street
Carries a war you’ll never meet.
They wear their smiles like patched-up sails,
Drifting through their private gales.

Chorus:
The other guy’s story ain’t yours to tell,
Don’t guess his heaven, don’t name his hell.
If mercy’s a muscle, then use it, friend—
We’re all half-broken, trying to mend.

Verse 2:
The loud may shout to drown their fear,
The quiet hide what none should hear.
If truth be flame, then mind your spark—
Some souls burn easy in the dark.

Chorus (repeat)
The other guy’s story ain’t yours to spin,
You can’t see the storm he’s standing in.
Hold your tongue till the kindness starts—
Wisdom begins where judgment parts.

Bridge:
You can’t fix pain with pointed words,
You can’t find peace in winning.
Empathy’s an art, absurd—
A losing game that keeps on giving.

Final Refrain:
The other guy’s story ain’t yours, my friend,
Walk beside him, not ahead.
If love’s our creed and pride our sin,
Then listen first—begin again.

Hymn IV

No One's the Smartest Ape in the Room

Canticle (Long Form) — Church of Common Sense

(On humility, science, and the comedy of being human.)

Verse 1:
We built our towers, tall and proud,
And shouted wisdom to the crowd.
Yet all our genius, all our schemes,
Are built on bones and monkey dreams.

Chorus:
No one’s the smartest ape in the room,
Not kings in labs or priests in gloom.
We guess, we test, we try, we fail—
The truth’s a ship, and doubt’s the sail.

Verse 2:
Each mind’s a spark, not the sun, my friend—
Bright for a while, but dim in the end.
The fool proclaims, “I know it all!”
The wise just listen, and catch what falls.

Chorus (repeat)
No one’s the smartest ape, be kind—
We share one fragile, curious mind.
The stars don’t care who calls them home,
We’re all just stardust with a phone.

Bridge:
Reason’s a candle, not a crown,
It flickers when the wind blows down.
But light it still, and keep it near—
Humility makes vision clear.

Final Refrain:
So laugh at your faults, forgive the rest,
We’re wingless gods at a cosmic jest.
When ego climbs, remind it soon—
No one’s the smartest ape in the room.

Hymn V

Ask Twice, Judge Once

Canticle (Long Form) — Church of Common Sense

(For the tempering of ego and the cultivation of understanding.)

Verse 1:
Swift tongues make crooked roads,
And rumor builds on bones.
Better to ask than to assume,
For truth hates to be alone.

Chorus:
Ask twice, judge once,
Let wisdom have its turn.
The patient find the clearer view,
While hot heads crash and burn.

Verse 2:
A single story rarely fits,
Each life’s a hidden map.
So listen long, and watch your wit—
The truth won’t shout; it taps.

Chorus (repeat)
Ask twice, judge once,
Be gentle with your sight.
The mind grows sharp in silence,
But dull in endless fight.

Bridge:
To pause is not to weaken,
To question is to grow.
Let empathy be your compass—
Where it points, you go.

Final Refrain:
Ask twice, judge once,
And carry that refrain.
For mercy is the mark of sense,
And pride’s the root of pain.

Hymn VI

We All Trip on the Same Stone

Canticle (Long Form) — Church of Common Sense

(For forgiveness, patience, and the human comedy.)

Verse 1:
Every saint was once a mess,
Every genius guessed.
We all bruise truth before we bless—
It’s failure that refines the rest.

Chorus:
We all trip on the same stone,
Call it pride, or fear, or haste.
We curse the pain, but in the bone,
That’s where wisdom leaves its trace.

Verse 2:
The loud will mock the fallen man,
Until the ground says, “You next.”
Grace isn’t pity—it’s the plan,
That humbles gods and lifts the wrecked.

Chorus (repeat)
We all trip on the same stone,
So lend a hand, not blame.
The path is rough, the light half-shown,
But mercy walks the same.

Bridge:
No one learns from ease or gold,
Growth comes in the bruise and fold.
So laugh, forgive, and carry on—
The stumble writes the song.

Final Refrain:
We all trip on the same stone,
But rise by helping others.
For every fall that breaks the bone,
Builds stronger, humbler brothers.

Hymn XVII

The Long View

Canticle (Long Form)

Short victories glitter brightly  
and fade just as fast.

What lasts is built slowly,  
layer by layer,  
choice by choice.

Ask what will still matter  
when memory dulls  
and names are forgotten.

Choose the action  
that strengthens tomorrow  
even if today offers no reward.

Time is the final witness.  
Build for it.

Hymn XXII

You Are Seen

Canticle (Long Form)

You never speak only for yourself.

Eyes are always watching—  
some with hope,  
some with doubt,  
some deciding what the idea truly is  
by observing how you carry it.

Screens remember.  
Tone outlives context.  
Moments outlast intentions.

Act as though the banner is always present,  
because it is.

Hymn XXVII

Hold the Line

Canticle (Long Form)

Standards do not enforce themselves.  
They wait to be defended.

Exceptions multiply quietly.  
Fatigue invites shortcuts.  
Drift masquerades as compassion.

What you tolerate today  
becomes the rule tomorrow.

Hold the line early,  
gently,  
and without favoritism.

Hymn XXXII

The Quiet Return

Canticle (Long Form)

There are seasons when presence harms  
what absence might heal.

Stepping back is not surrender  
when done with intention  
and with care.

Do not vanish in shame.  
Do not cling in fear.

Withdraw long enough  
for repair to take root,  
then return without announcement,  
without demands.

The quiet return restores  
what spectacle never could.