Singing The Spirit Home

     D                   Bm       
They came for him in the morning, 
   G           D
an hour before dawning
    D                   Bm        
The pale white moon was waning in 
    G       A
the African sky
    D                   Bm         
The cell door flew wide open, they 
G             D
stood looking at him
   D                     Bm       
He saw no mercy in their hearts, 
  G    A        D
no pity in their eyes

[Verse 2]
        D                 Bm      
As they took him and they bound 
            G                 D
him, tied his trembling hands behind
 him
   D                Bm             
He felt his courage leave him, his 
G           A
manhood disappear
    D                 Bm           
His legs would not support him, so 
G                  D
from the cell they dragged him
   D                       Bm     
He sobbed and screamed and cursed 
            G     A        D
them in his loneliness and fear

[Chorus]
D       A       D
Chains, chains, chains
    G               A     
How many souls have died in 
            D
freedom's name
   G            A             
To some it is a way of life, to 
  D             Bm
others just a word
   G            A                 
To some it is a snow-white dove, 
  D             Bm
to some a bloody sword
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      G       A           Bm    
But until the last chains fall, 
G                 A            D
freedom will make slaves of us all

[Verse 3]
     D                Bm         
With faces closed and hidden the 
G                     D
white guards walked beside him
  D                Bm             
Indifferent to his pleading - 
        G                A
they'd been down this path before
    D               Bm        G  
But other eyes were watching, 
             D
other ears were listening
D                 Bm              
Other hearts beat with him in his 
G     A         D
final desperate hour

[Verse 4]
         D                Bm   
From the darkness of that prison 
           G                  
came the sound of his brothers 
   D
singing
 D                    Bm          
Courage, their voices told him, 
  G            A
you do not walk alone
           D                Bm    
From their cells beyond the shadow
    G                  D
 he heard their voices echo
      D                  Bm       
As in love and pride and sorrow 
   G        A      D
they sang his spirit home

[Chorus]
D       A       D
Chains, chains, chains
    G               A     
How many souls have died in 
            D
freedom's name
   G            A             
To some it is a way of life, to 
  D             Bm
others just a word
   G            A                 
To some it is a snow-white dove, 
  D             Bm
to some a bloody sword
      G       A           Bm    
But until the last chains fall, 
G                 A            D
freedom will make slaves of us all

[Verse 5]
          D                Bm     
And their song of hope and 
     G                D
freedom, it rang inside that prison
   D                Bm            
It beat against the iron bars and 
G                   A
crashed against the stone
            D                  Bm 
As in their fear and hate they 
                G                  
hung him, the last sound that 
   D
filled his being
        D        Bm       G      
Was his brothers singing, singing
     A      D
 his spirit home

[Other]
D                     A           
Courage, brother, you do not walk 
 D
alone
D                          A     
We shall walk with you and sing 
    D
your spirit home