verse 1
Am Dm G Am
I'll sing you a song about a southern town where the devil had his rule
Am Dm G Am
When marshalls faced an angry mob to send one man to school
Am G
His name was Jimmy Meredith
Am G
the tide he helped to turn
Am G
For he chose to stay on that terrible day
Am G Am
The land was soon to learn
Am Dm
There was blood, red blood, on their hands,
G C
Yellow dirt on their clothes
Am G
What they thought they were doing,
F E
Only god and the devil knows
Am Dm
There was hate, cold hate, in their hearts,
G C
Shot from their souls like a gun
Am G
And as they threw their stones and bricks,
F E Am
They screamed, "see what you have done!"
verse 2
Am Dm G Am
The governor made a promise he would keep the trouble down
Am Dm G Am
But when the mob got ugly no troopers could be found
Am G
And men were filled with hate and fear,
Am G
They screamed into the night
Am G
The rebel flag waved in the air
Am G Am
The symbol of state's rights
Am Dm
There was blood, red blood, on their hands,
G C
Yellow dirt on their clothes
Am G
What they thought they were doing,
F E
Only god and the devil knows
Am Dm
There was hate, cold hate, in their hearts,
G C
Shot from their souls like a gun
Am G
And as they threw their stones and bricks,
F E Am
They screamed, "see what you have done!"
verse 3
Am Dm G Am
Gas was fired into the mob after each attack
Am Dm G Am
And though the gas was running low, they never fired back
Am G
And when the smoke had cleared away
Am G
And the fury felt its pain
Am G
Two men were dead and a hundred bled
Am G Am
The south had risen again
verse 4
Am Dm G Am
So listen Mr Barnet, and Mr Walker, too
Am Dm G Am
The times are changing mighty fast, they'll roll right over you
Am G
But someday you'll head for the south,
Am G
to the southern tip of hell
Am G
And it's hot down there, white-hot down there
Am G Am
Let's hear your rebel yell!
Am Dm
There was blood, red blood, on their hands,
G C
Yellow dirt on their clothes
Am G
What they thought they were doing,
F E
Only god and the devil knows
Am Dm
There was hate, cold hate, in their hearts,
G C
Shot from their souls like a gun
Am G
And as they threw their stones and bricks,
F E Am
They screamed, "see what you have done!"