Birmingham Sunday Lyrics - Joan Baez
Review The Song (4)
Lyrics as reprinted in Guy and Candie Carawan, Sing for Freedom: The Story of
the Civil Rights Movement through its songs, Bethlehem, PA, 1990, pp. 122-123.
Come round by my side and I'll sing you a song.
I'll sing it so softly, it'll do no one wrong.
On Birmingham Sunday the blood ran like wine,
And the choir kept singing of Freedom.
That cold autumn morning no eyes saw the sun,
And Addie Mae Collins, her number was one.
In an old Baptist church there was no need to run.
And the choir kept singing of Freedom,
The clouds they were dark and the autumn wind blew,
And Denise McNair brought the number to two.
The falcon of death was a creature they knew,
And the choir kept singing of Freedom,
The church it was crowded, and no one could see
That Cynthia Wesley's dark number was three.
Her prayers and her feelings would shame you and me.
And the choir kept singing of Freedom.
Young Carol Robertson entered the door
And the number her killers had given was four.
She asked for a blessing but asked for no more,
And the choir kept singing of Freedom.
On Birmingham Sunday a noise shook the ground.
And people all over the earth turned around.
For no one recalled a more cowardly sound.
And the choir kept singing of Freedom.
The men in the forest they once asked of me,
How many black berries grow in the Blue Sea.
I asked them right back with a tear in my eye.
How many dark ships in the forest?
A Sunday has come a Sunday has gone.
And I can't do much more than to sing you a song.
I'll sing it so softly, it'll do no one wrong.
And the choir keeps singing of Freedom.
the Civil Rights Movement through its songs, Bethlehem, PA, 1990, pp. 122-123.
Come round by my side and I'll sing you a song.
I'll sing it so softly, it'll do no one wrong.
On Birmingham Sunday the blood ran like wine,
And the choir kept singing of Freedom.
That cold autumn morning no eyes saw the sun,
And Addie Mae Collins, her number was one.
In an old Baptist church there was no need to run.
And the choir kept singing of Freedom,
The clouds they were dark and the autumn wind blew,
And Denise McNair brought the number to two.
The falcon of death was a creature they knew,
And the choir kept singing of Freedom,
The church it was crowded, and no one could see
That Cynthia Wesley's dark number was three.
Her prayers and her feelings would shame you and me.
And the choir kept singing of Freedom.
Young Carol Robertson entered the door
And the number her killers had given was four.
She asked for a blessing but asked for no more,
And the choir kept singing of Freedom.
On Birmingham Sunday a noise shook the ground.
And people all over the earth turned around.
For no one recalled a more cowardly sound.
And the choir kept singing of Freedom.
The men in the forest they once asked of me,
How many black berries grow in the Blue Sea.
I asked them right back with a tear in my eye.
How many dark ships in the forest?
A Sunday has come a Sunday has gone.
And I can't do much more than to sing you a song.
I'll sing it so softly, it'll do no one wrong.
And the choir keeps singing of Freedom.
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Devastatingly beautiful song | Reviewer: Sheila | 4/26/13
Thank you Joan Baez. Your softly lilting voice accompanied by the gentle strums of the guitar must have comforted the grieving families and friends, whose loss can never be measured. Thank you, Richard Farina, for writing such hauntingly beautiful lyrics about so tragic an event as this terrorist attack on four young girls. Thank you, Spike Lee, for making a movie in 1997 titled Four Little Girls, in which this song ran as the opening credits rolled. Thank you, YouTube, for putting it out online for free so that someone like me, an American overseas, can see it.
A nod to the author | Reviewer: Michael | 8/18/12
Nobody does a more powerful version than Joan Baez, But credit should be given to the late, great Richard Farina for writing it. Richard was married to Joan's sister Mimi.Check out some of his other songs.
Amazing | Reviewer: Elizabeth | 11/29/11
Im 12 years old and I feel as if I can relate to these girls. They died so young and to have a song that is so Amazing song so well They are just blessed! :) R.I.P to all four girls....May you soar with angels high up in the sky.
Beautiful | Reviewer: D. Gunn | 11/16/11
Very emotional. Brilliant how she sung so peacefully about such a disturbingly violent event. It also demonstrated the resolve of the movement that endured these horrors, and the choir kept singing of freedom.
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