Chimes of Freedom.
Far between sundown's finishan' midnight's broken tollWe ducked inside the doorway,thunder crashingAs majestic bells of bolts struckshadows in the soundsSeeming to be the chimes of freedomflashingFlashing for the warriorswhose strength is not to fightFlashing for the refugeeson the unarmed road of flightAn' for each an' ev'ryunderdog soldier in the nightAn' we gazed uponthe chimes of freedom flashing.
In the city's melted furnace,unexpectedly we watchedWith faces hidden while the wallswere tighteningAs the echo of the wedding bellsbefore the blowin' rainDissolved into the bells of the lightningTolling for the rebeltolling for the rakeTolling for the luckless,the abandoned an' forsakedTolling for the outcast,burnin' constantly at stakeAn' we gazed uponthe chimes of freedom flashing.
In the city's melted furnace,unexpectedly we watchedWith faces hidden while the wallswere tighteningAs the echo of the wedding bellsbefore the blowin' rainDissolved into the bells of the lightningTolling for the rebeltolling for the rakeTolling for the luckless,the abandoned an' forsakedTolling for the outcast,burnin' constantly at stakeAn' we gazed uponthe chimes of freedom flashing.
Through the mad mystic hammeringof the wild ripping hailThe sky cracked its poemsin naked wonderThat the clinging of the church bellsblew far into the breezeLeaving only bells of lightningand its thunderStriking for the gentle,striking for the kindStriking for the guardiansand protectors of the mindAn' the unpawned painterbehind beyond his rightful timeAn' we gazed uponthe chimes of freedom flashing.
Through the wild cathedralevening the rain unraveled talesFor the disrobed faceless formsof no positionTolling for the tongueswith no place to bring their thoughtsAll down intaken-for-granted situationsTolling for the deaf an' blind,tolling for the muteTolling for the mistreated,mateless mother, the mistitled prostituteFor the misdemeanor outlaw,chased an' cheated by pursuitAn' we gazed uponthe chimes of freedom flashing.
Even though a cloud's white curtainin a far-off corner flashedAn' the hypnotic splattered mistwas slowly liftingElectric light still struck like arrows,fired but for the onesCondemned to driftor else be kept from driftingTolling for the searching ones,on their speechless, seeking trailFor the lonesome-hearted loverswith too personal a taleAn' for each unharmful,gentle soul misplaced inside a jailAn' we gazed uponthe chimes of freedom flashing.
Starry-eyed an' laughingas I recall when we were caughtTrapped by no track of hoursfor they hanged suspendedAs we listenedone last timean' we watched with one last lookSpellbound an' swallowed'til the tolling endedTolling for the aching oneswhose wounds cannot be nursedFor the countless confused,accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worseAn' for every hung-up personin the whole wide universeAn' we gazed uponthe chimes of freedom flashing.