My City of Ruins

There's a blood red circle
on the cold dark ground
and the rain is falling down.
The church door's thrown open
I can hear the organ's song
But the congregation's gone,
My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Now the sweet bells of mercy
drift through the evening trees
Young men on the corner
Like scattered leaves,
The boarded up windows,
the empty streets,
While my brother's down on his knees
My city of ruins
My city of ruins

Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up

Now there's tears on the pillow
Darlin' where we slept,
and you took my heart when you left.
Without your sweet kiss
My soul is lost, my friend
Tell me how do I begin again?
My city's in ruins
My city's in ruins

Now with these hands,
with these hands, with these hand
with these hand, I pray Lord
With these hands, with these hands,
I pray for the strength, Lord
With these hands, with these hands,
I pray for the faith, Lord
With these hands, with these hands,
I pray for the faith, Lord
With these hands, with these hands,
I pray for the faith, Lord
With these hands, with these hands,
I pray for your love, Lord
With these hands, with these hands,
I pray for your faith, Lord
With these hands,
With these hands,
I pray for the strength, Lord
With these hands,
With these hands,

Come on, rise up
Come on, rise up

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most-
the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost-
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died
And they were singing

Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die