AmDmGAm
I'll sing you a song about a southern town where the devil had his rule
AmDmGAm
When marshalls faced an angry mob to send one man to school
AmG
His name was Jimmy Meredith
AmG
the tide he helped to turn
AmG
For he chose to stay on that terrible day
AmGAm
The land was soon to learn
[Chorus]
AmDm
There was blood, red blood, on their hands,
GC
Yellow dirt on their clothes
AmG
What they thought they were doing,
FE
Only god and the devil knows
AmDm
There was hate, cold hate, in their hearts,
GC
Shot from their souls like a gun
AmG
And as they threw their stones and bricks,
FEAm
They screamed, "see what you have done!"
[Verse 2]
AmDmGAm
The governor made a promise he would keep the trouble down
AmDmGAm
But when the mob got ugly no troopers could be found
AmG
And men were filled with hate and fear,
AmG
They screamed into the night
AmG
The rebel flag waved in the air
AmGAm
The symbol of state's rights
[Chorus]
AmDm
There was blood, red blood, on their hands,
GC
Yellow dirt on their clothes
AmG
What they thought they were doing,
FE
Only god and the devil knows
AmDm
There was hate, cold hate, in their hearts,
GC
Shot from their souls like a gun
AmG
And as they threw their stones and bricks,
FEAm
They screamed, "see what you have done!"
[Verse 3]
AmDmGAm
Gas was fired into the mob after each attack
AmDmGAm
And though the gas was running low, they never fired back
AmG
And when the smoke had cleared away
AmG
And the fury felt its pain
AmG
Two men were dead and a hundred bled
AmGAm
The south had risen again
[Verse 4]
AmDmGAm
So listen Mr Barnet, and Mr Walker, too
AmDmGAm
The times are changing mighty fast, they'll roll right over you
AmG
But someday you'll head for the south,
AmG
to the southern tip of hell
AmG
And it's hot down there, white-hot down there
AmGAm
Let's hear your rebel yell!
[Chorus]
AmDm
There was blood, red blood, on their hands,
GC
Yellow dirt on their clothes
AmG
What they thought they were doing,
FE
Only god and the devil knows
AmDm
There was hate, cold hate, in their hearts,
GC
Shot from their souls like a gun
AmG
And as they threw their stones and bricks,
FEAm
They screamed, "see what you have done!"