Lyr Req: A Church Is Burning (Paul Simon)

Subject: A church is burning
From: Ulli
Date: 16 Apr 00 - 04:53 PM

Paul Simon supposedly wrote a song with that title. Does anyone have the lyrics? Is there a real background/experience to it? I also don't know on which of his recordings (records/CDs I could find the song. (are there any MIDIS available?). I'm sure that there is someone in the Mudcat family who can help me.
Thanks ulli

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: A CHURCH IS BURNING (Paul Simon)
From: Ed Pellow
Date: 16 Apr 00 - 05:59 PM

|Eb    |Bb   | |Ab  |Eb  Bb|Eb
A church is burn - - - - ing

   |           |Ab  Bb|Eb  Bb|Eb
the flames rise high - er

    |     |Gm    |Fm
like hands that are pray - ing

   |Ab         |Bb |Fm  Bb
a - glow in the sky

    |Eb     |
Like hands that are praying

   |Ab   Gm Fm |Eb
the fi - re is  saying,

 |Ab      |Eb
"You can burn down my churches

   |Bb7        |Eb  Bb|Eb Bb|Eb  Bb|Eb  Bb|Eb  Fm
but I shall be - e free."
 

     |   |Eb         |     |
Three hooded men thru the backroads did creep

Fm  |
Torches in their hands while

   |Eb    | |
the village lies a-sleep

Ab Fm |Eb
Down to the church where

    |Db        |Eb  |
just   hours be-fore

Ab     Fm  |Eb        |
voices were singing and

Ab    Fm  |Eb       |
hands were beating and

Ab     Bb|Eb     |Bb       |Eb   |
saying I  won't be a slave any-more.
 
 
 

     |Eb       |Bb   | |Ab  |Eb  Bb|Eb
And a church is burn - - - - ing

   |           |Ab  Bb|Eb  Bb|Eb
the flames rise high - er

    |     |Gm    |Fm
like hands that are pray - ing

   |Ab         |Bb |Fm  Bb
a - glow in the sky

    |Eb     |
Like hands that are praying

   |Ab   Gm Fm |Eb
the fi - re is  saying,

 |Ab      |Eb
"You can burn down my churches

   |Bb7        |Eb  Bb|Eb Bb|Eb  Bb|Eb  |Fm
but I shall be - e free."
 
 

     |   |Eb         |
Three hooded men, their hands lit the spark

         |Fm          |
Then they faded in the night

        |Eb             |
and they vanished in the dark

          |Ab       Fm|Eb
And in the cool light of morning

       |Ab           Fm|Eb
there's nothing that re-mains

       |Ab       |Eb
But the ashes of a bible and

 |Bb7      |Eb
a can of kero-sene
 
 

     |Eb       |Bb   | |Ab  |Eb  Bb|Eb
And a church is burn - - - - ing

   |           |Ab  Bb|Eb  Bb|Eb
the flames rise high - er

    |     |Gm    |Fm
like hands that are pray - ing

   |Ab         |Bb |Fm  Bb
a - glow in the sky

    |Eb     |
Like hands that are praying

   |Ab   Gm Fm |Eb
the fi - re is  saying,

 |Ab      |Eb
"You can burn down my churches

   |Bb7        |Eb  Bb|Eb Bb|Eb  Bb|Eb  |Fm
but I shall be - e free."
 

    |    |Eb       |     |
A church is more than just timber and stone

   |Fm          |
And freedom is a dark road

           |Eb          |
When you're walking it a-lone

       |Ab     Fm|Eb
But the future is now

        |Ab          Fm|Eb
and it's time to take a stand

      |Ab           |Eb
So the lost bells of freedom

    |Bb7          |Eb
can ring out in my land
 
 

    |Eb       |Bb   | |Ab  |Eb  Bb|Eb
And a church is burn - - - - ing

   |           |Ab  Bb|Eb  Bb|Eb
the flames rise high - er

    |     |Gm    |Fm
like hands that are pray - ing

   |Ab         |Bb |Fm  Bb
a - glow in the sky

    |Eb     |
Like hands that are praying

   |Ab   Gm Fm |Eb
the fi - re is  saying,

 |Ab    Fm|Eb      |Cm   |
"You can burn down my churches

   |Ab  |  Bb|  | Ab    Fm|Eb  Bb|Eb Fm|Eb  Bb|Eb  |
but I - I - I - I shall be free."
 

Subject: RE: Help: A church is burning
From: Garry Gillard
Date: 17 Apr 00 - 06:50 AM

A Church is Burning is one of twelve songs on an LP released in May 1965 and called THE PAUL SIMON SONG BOOK, CBS 62579, according to this site (NOT recently checked). hth, Garry

Subject: RE: Help: A church is burning
From: GUEST,franz
Date: 17 Apr 00 - 06:54 AM

This is from the "Paul Simon Songbook"; don't know if it has been released as a CD, though. Phil Ochs has a similar song that I like much better; i think the title was "And on her hand a golden ring" - at least that's the line that is repeated over and over.

franz

Subject: RE: Help: A church is burning
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 17 Apr 00 - 08:39 AM

According to the All-Music Guide, PS has refused to allow this to be reissued,or remastered to CD, the recording quality was very poor, done in London in a hurry to meet demand from London audiences for a record of his then repertoire, as no US recording was available,apparently.
RtS

Subject: RE: Help: A church is burning
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 17 Apr 00 - 08:44 AM

I think this is on one of teh Simon and Garfunkel albums too. Maybe the first one.

Subject: RE: Help: A church is burning
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 17 Apr 00 - 09:08 AM

Richard Bridge is right, looking further down the AMG entry the 1965 session was eventually reissued on a box set in 1981 on LP in the US, and a version of this song is included in a CD box set in 1997: Simon & Grafunkle Old Friends Columbia 64780.
My wife is a S & G fan but doesn't have this one.
RtS

Subject: RE: Help: A church is burning
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 17 Apr 00 - 09:11 AM

Who is this Grafunkle? Proof read, Roger!!
RtS