A church is burn - - - - i ng
the flames rise h igh - er
like hands that ar e pray - ing
a - g low in the s ky
Like h ands that are praying
the f i - r e is sayi ng
"Y ou can bu rn down my churches
but I shall be - e fre e."
Three hoo ded men thru the backroads did creep
T orches in their hands while
the v illage lies a-sleep
D own t o the church where
just hours be-f ore
v oices w ere s inging and
h ands w ere b eating and
s aying I won 't be a slave any -more.
And a c hurch is b urn - - - - i ng
the flames rise h igh - er
like hands that ar e pray - ing
a - g low in the s ky
Like h ands that are praying
the f i - r e is sayi ng
"Y ou can bu rn down my churches
but I shall be - e fre e."
Three hoo ded men their hands lit the spark
Then they f aded in the night
and they v anished in the dark
And in the c ool light of m orning
there's n othing that r e-mai ns
But the a shes of a bible and
a c an of kero -sene
And a c hurch is b urn - - - - i ng
the flames rise h igh - er
like hands that ar e pray - ing
a - g low in the s ky
Like h ands that are praying
the f i - r e is sayi ng
"Y ou can bu rn down my churches
but I shall be - e fre e."
A church is more than just timber and stone
And f reedom is a dark road
When you're w alking it a-lone
But the f uture i s now
and it's t ime to take a sta nd
So the l ost bells of f reedom
can ri ng out in my l and
And a church is burn - - - - ing
the flames rise h igh - er
like hands that ar e pray - ing
a - g low in the s ky
Like h ands that are praying
the f i - r e is sayi ng
"Y ou can burn down my churches
but I - I - I - I s hall b e fre e."