Paul Simon - A Church Is Burning

      Notes:
  - G* denotes a quick walk down from G (that is, G F# E in the bass)
  - Almost every D is really an alternating D and Dsus2

[Intro]
D  A G*  D

[Chorus 1]
    D      A         G*    D
A church is bu - u - u - rning
      D     G       D
The flames rise higher
                  F#m     Em
Like hands that are praying
   G          Asus4  A
Aglow in the sky
       D
Like hands that are praying
     G*       D
The fire is sayin’
         G*            D
You can burn down my churches
   A7          D
But I shall be   free

[Verse 1]
Em                               D
   Three hooded men through the back roads did creep
Em                                D
Torches in their hands while the village lies asleep
G*               D               C         D
   Down to the church where, just hours before
G*              D
   Voices were singing, and
G*             D
   Hands were beating, and
G*           D            A            D
   Saying, "I won't be a slave anymore"

[Chorus 2]
    D      A         G*    D
A church is bu - u - u - rning
      D     G       D
The flames rise higher
                  F#m     Em
Like hands that are praying
   G          Asus4  A
Aglow in the sky
       D
Like hands that are praying
     G*       D
The fire is sayin’
         G*            D
You can burn down my churches
   A7          D
But I shall be   free

[Verse 2]
Em                          D
   Three hooded men, their hands lit the spark
          Em                           D
And they faded in the night, and they vanished in the dark
            G*            D                 G*             D
And in the cold light of morning, there is nothing that remains
         G*         D           A          D
But the ashes of a Bible and a can of kerosene

[Chorus 3]
    D      A         G*    D
A church is bu - u - u - rning
      D     G       D
The flames rise higher
                  F#m     Em
Like hands that are praying
   G          Asus4  A
Aglow in the sky
       D
Like hands that are praying
     G*       D
The fire is sayin’
         G*            D
You can burn down my churches
   A7          D
But I shall be   free

[Verse 3]
Em                             D
   A church is more than just timber and stone
     Em                                 D
And freedom is a dark road when you're walking it alone
         G*        D             G*              D
But the future is now, and it's time to take a stand
        G*             D          A              D
So the lost bells of freedom can ring out in my land

[Chorus 4]
    D      A         G*    D
A church is bu - u - u - rning
      D     G       D
The flames rise higher
                  F#m     Em
Like hands that are praying
   G          Asus4  A
Aglow in the sky
       D
Like hands that are praying
     G*       D
The fire is sayin’
         G*            D      Bm
You can burn down my church - es
    G       A            D
But I - I - I shall be free