Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on 2026-09-03
Nashville songwriter Ned Hill is getting ready to release his new EP, Saw Jesus at the Park, on September 18, and Grateful Web is pleased to premiere the record’s title track, a wry piece of Americana that imagines Jesus encountering a modern world he barely recognizes.
“Saw Jesus at the Park” finds Hill mixing humor with a little frustration and disbelief. In the song, Jesus is spotted walking his dog in the park and, when asked how he is doing, responds by laughing, pulling out a joint and asking for a light. The scene is tongue-in-cheek, but beneath the humor is Hill’s look at a world that can often feel increasingly difficult to make sense of.
For Hill, the song began as a reflection on the current state of the world before the image of an exhausted, very human Jesus gave it its central character and chorus.
“Saw Jesus at the Park” started as a song about the current state of the world, then found its chorus when I thought about what Jesus must be thinking. The thought of humanizing Jesus, (not unlike Joan Osborne’s “One of Us”) and having him being seen walking his dog in the park, appealed to me. I thought he must be exhausted and exasperated about what’s going on. Someone who maybe needs a drink or, in this song, a joint. When confronted at the park: “Que pasa. Is everything alright? Pulls out a joint and laughs. Said, man, you gotta light? Cause love’s turned overnight.”
Listen to Grateful Web’s exclusive premiere of “Saw Jesus at the Park” below.
The song is part of Hill’s forthcoming Saw Jesus at the Park EP, produced by guitarist Dave Coleman and recorded at Coleman’s Howard’s Apartment Studios in Nashville. The project brings together material written across different periods of Hill’s career, including “Little Miss Cairaco,” a song written roughly 30 years ago that helped set the new recording project in motion.
The EP also includes “Why in the World?,” which looks for answers amid turbulent times, and “Drive,” a roots-rock track that reflects on frustration spilling into the streets. Hill also takes on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Hey Tonight,” giving the familiar song his own Americana treatment.
On Saw Jesus at the Park, Hill moves further toward a singer-songwriter sound that places his lyrics at the center. He is joined by longtime violin and viola collaborator Tina Simpson, along with Coleman on guitar, Chris Benelli on drums, Brady Beard on keyboards, Jared Manzo and Jeff Thorneycroft on bass, and Kirsten Cassel on cello.
The EP follows decades of songwriting and recording from the Nashville veteran, whose music has moved between rock and roll, roots music and Americana while maintaining an emphasis on sharp lyrics and melodic songwriting.
Saw Jesus at the Park will be released September 18, 2026
Catch up with the Ned Hill on social media. Follow him on Facebook and Instagram, subscribe to his YouTube channel, and check him out on Spotify.
