Paul Simon - A Church Is Burning Lyrics






A church is burning
The flames rise higher
Like hands that are praying
They grow in the sky
Like hands that are praying
The fire ascends
You can burn down my churches
But I shall be free

Three hooded men through the back roads did creep
Torches in their hands while the village lies asleep
Down to the church where, just hours before
Voices were singing, and
Hands were meeting, and
Saying, "I won't be a slave anymore"

A church is burning
The flames rise higher
Like hands that are praying
They glow in the sky
Like hands that are praying
The fire ascends
You can burn down my churches
But I shall be free

Three hooded men, their hands lit the spark
And they faded in the night, they vanished in the dark
And in the cold light of morning, there was nothing that remained
But the ashes of a Bible and a can of kerosene

A church is burning
The flames rise higher
Like hands that are praying
They glow in the sky
Like hands that are prayin'
The fire ascends
You can burn down my churches
But I shall be free

A church is more than just timber and stone
And freedom is a dark road when you're walking it alone
But the future is now, and it's time to take a stand
So the lost bells of freedom can ring out in my land

A church is burning
The flames rise higher
Like hands that are praying
They glow in the sky
Like hands that are praying
The fire ascends
You can burn down my churches
But I shall be free





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Paul Simon A Church Is Burning Comments
  1. t.... ....

    Puts a shiver down your spine in a nice way. <3 Paul

  2. K.... W....

    I am so sad about Notre Dame.

  3. R.... S....

    Had to come here for Notre Dame. We'll miss you.

  4. J.... A....

    RIP NOTRE DAME

    J.... A....

    Dammit I'm too late!

  5. C.... R....

    The only race on this planet is the human race.

  6. S.... ....

    "The fire is saying, you can burn down my buildings, but I shall be free!" Still beautiful, still needed after all these years"

    S.... ....

    Needed more that ever ...

    S.... ....

    Oh yeah! Church burning is needed now more than ever!

  7. C.... C....

    When I was a young lad decades ago, I used to see this song in a Paul Simon songbook. Now I can hear it as well, thanks to YT.

  8. b.... ....

    a young man's song....
    it's ridiculously 'righteous' and just hasn't aged very well... (you can see the traits present in today's out-of-control political correctness however)
    "Freeeeeeeeeee!!!"

    b.... ....

    bellinghammond don't come in sayin that like it's a bad thing. that youthful righteousness and passion is what the world needed. get off that pretentiousness unless you can write a better song that touches more people's hearts

    b.... ....

    @Andrew Tyler! Looking back, it has always been young people who drove revolutions and change. They may seem idealistic and naive to older folks, but sometimes that's exactly what the world needs.

  9. R.... ....

    “Our true nationality is mankind.” ― H.G. Wells

  10. s.... ....

    Fifty years on, & the same hate crimes are being perpetrated. Time for opposition to hate crime from everyone.

    s.... ....

    Ja, hate crimes by Trump, really sad