They went down with only love
To fight the wrongs of lies and hate.
To do what no one else had done,
A country's promise far too late.
And officials of the churches
And high offices of the land
All agreed but they stood by
And they never raised a hand.
Send the F.B.I.,
Send the C.I.A. too
Send em down to look around
And see what they can do.
But there aint no use a-trying
To wash away the stain
Flesh is torn. blood is spilt.
A nation hides its shame.
Sunday in Neshoba*
Is not a day for God
The black smoke rises from a swamp,
The wagon** burned and charred.
Three men gone, then terror's King,
For bloody is their name.
Fresh blood for the Gods of Hate
And terror's King again.
Send the F.B.I.,
Send the C.I.A. too
Send em down to look around
And see what they can do.
But there aint no use a-trying
To wash away the stain
Flesh is torn. blood is spilt.
A nation hides its shame.
Shot-gun blasts from a passing car.
Barbed wire to tear the flesh.
Bullets from the back of a bush
And swamps to hide the evidence.
How many more the years of lies
The tears from human eyes?
The black, caked blood of centuries gone.
The piercing human cries.
Send the F.B.I.,
Send the C.I.A. too
Send em down to look around
And see what they can do.
But there aint no use a-trying
To wash away the stain
Flesh is torn. blood is spilt.
A nation hides its shame.
With tears that flow, and sobs of grief
A nation hides its shame.
To fight the wrongs of lies and hate.
To do what no one else had done,
A country's promise far too late.
And officials of the churches
And high offices of the land
All agreed but they stood by
And they never raised a hand.
Send the F.B.I.,
Send the C.I.A. too
Send em down to look around
And see what they can do.
But there aint no use a-trying
To wash away the stain
Flesh is torn. blood is spilt.
A nation hides its shame.
Sunday in Neshoba*
Is not a day for God
The black smoke rises from a swamp,
The wagon** burned and charred.
Three men gone, then terror's King,
For bloody is their name.
Fresh blood for the Gods of Hate
And terror's King again.
Send the F.B.I.,
Send the C.I.A. too
Send em down to look around
And see what they can do.
But there aint no use a-trying
To wash away the stain
Flesh is torn. blood is spilt.
A nation hides its shame.
Shot-gun blasts from a passing car.
Barbed wire to tear the flesh.
Bullets from the back of a bush
And swamps to hide the evidence.
How many more the years of lies
The tears from human eyes?
The black, caked blood of centuries gone.
The piercing human cries.
Send the F.B.I.,
Send the C.I.A. too
Send em down to look around
And see what they can do.
But there aint no use a-trying
To wash away the stain
Flesh is torn. blood is spilt.
A nation hides its shame.
With tears that flow, and sobs of grief
A nation hides its shame.
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** The bodies were found in their station wagon.