Abraham Martin John lyrics

(richard holler)



I am a backseat driver from america

They drive to the left on falls road

And the man at the wheels name is shamus

We pass a the child on a corner he knows

And shamus says "now what chance has that kid got"

And I say from the back "i dont know"



He says "theres barbed wire at all of these exits"

There aint no place in belfast for that kid to go

And its a hard life, its a hard life

Its a very hard life

Its a hard life wherever you go

And we poison our children with hatred

And the hard life is all that they know



At the dairyline in chicago

A fat man in front of me

Hes calling black people trash to his children

And hes the only trash here I see

And Im thinking this man wears a white hood

In the night when his children should sleep

But theyll slip to their windows and see him

Theyll think that white hoods all they need



And its a hard life, its a hard life

Its a very hard life

Its a hard life wherever you go

And if we poison our children with hatred

Then the hard life is all that they know



I was a child of the sixties

When dreams could be held through tears

With disney and cronkite and martin luther

And I belived, I believed, I believed



Now Im a backseat driver from america

And Im not at the wheel of control

And I am guilty, I am worn, I am the root of all evil

And I cant drive on the left side of the road



And its a hard life, its a hard life

Its a very hard life

Its a hard life wherever you go

And if we poison our children with hatred

Then the hard life is all that theyll know



And there aint no place in this world for these kids to go

Cause its a hard life wherever you go



Has anybody here seen my old friend abraham,

Can you tell me where hes gone?

He freed a lotta people, but it seems the good die young

I just looked around and hes gone.



Has anybody here seen my old friend martin,

Can you tell me where hes gone?

He freed a lotta people, but it seems the good die young

I just looked around and hes gone.



Has anybody here seen my old friend john,

Can you tell me where hes gone?

He freed a lotta people, but it seems the good die young

I just looked around and hes gone.



Didnt you love the things they stood for?

Didnt they try to find some good in you and me?

And well be free

Someday soon its gonna be one day



Has anybody here seen my old friend bobby,

Can you tell me where hes gone?

I thought I saw him walkin up over the hill

With abraham and martin and john.
Back to: EMMYLOU HARRIS lyrics