Em G Am In the state of Mississippi many years ago D Em A boy of 14 years got a taste of southern law Em G Am He saw his friend a hanging and his color was his crime D Em And the blood upon his jacket left a brand upon his mind [Chorus] Am D G Em Too many martyrs and too many dead Am D G Em Too many lies too many empty words were said Am D G Em Too many times for too many angry men Am D Em Oh let it never be again [Verse 2] Em G Am His name was Medgar Evers and he walked his road alone D Em Like Emmett Till and thousands more whose names we'll never know Em G Am They tried to burn his home and they beat him to the ground D Em But deep inside they both knew what it took to bring him down [Chorus] Am D G Em Too many martyrs and too many dead Am D G Em Too many lies too many empty words were said Am D G Em Too many times for too many angry men Am D Em Oh let it never be again [Verse 3] Em G Am The killer waited by his home hidden by the night D Em As Evers stepped out from his car into the rifle sight Em G Am he slowly squeezed the trigger, the bullet left his side D Em It struck the heart of every man when Evers fell and died. [Chorus] Am D G Em Too many martyrs and too many dead Am D G Em Too many lies too many empty words were said Am D G Em Too many times for too many angry men Am D Em Oh let it never be again [Verse 4] Em G Am And they laid him in his grave while the bugle sounded clear D Em laid him in his grave when the victory was near Em G Am While we waited for the future for freedom through the land D Em The country gained a killer and the country lost a man [Chorus] Am D G Em Too many martyrs and too many dead Am D G Em Too many lies too many empty words were said Am D G Em Too many times for too many angry men Am D Em Oh let it never be again Am D Em Oh let it never be again