The books are read
Papers dissected, articles analyzed.
Memorizing every in and out
Of this date and that guy
And where he or she was
When that battle went down
Or this miracle happened—
A veritable encyclopedia.
You could grow a long, gray beard
And write your doctoral dissertation
Pontificating on the level
Of your unsurpassed knowledge
On the subject we all try
So desperately to understand.
But that all means nothing
If you don’t know it
Where it matter’s most.

You gotta have faith, man.
You just gotta have faith.