Dick Gaughan 1983
I come like a comet new born Like the sun that arises at morning
I come like the furious tempest That follows a thundercloud’s warning
I come like the fiery lava From cloud-covered mountains volcanic
I come like a storm from the north That the oceans awake to in panic
I come because tyranny planted My seed in the hot desert sand
I come because masters have kindled My fury with every command
I come because man cannot murder The life-giving seed in his veins
I come because liberty cannot Forever be fettered by chains
I come because tyrants imagine That mankind is only their throne
I come because peace has been nourished By bullets and cannon alone
I come because one world is two And we face one another with rage
I come because guards have been posted To keep out the hope of the age
From earliest times the oppressed Have awaked me and called me to lead them
I guided them out of enslavement And brought them to high roads of freedom
I marched at the head of their legions And hailed a new world at its birth
And now I shall march with the peoples Until they unfetter the earth
And you, all you sanctified moneybags Bandits anointed and crowned
Your counterfeit towers of justice And ethics will crash to the ground
I’ll send my good sword through your hearts That have drained the world’s blood in their lust
Smash all your crowns and your sceptres And trample them into the dust
I’ll rip off your rich purple garments And tear them to rags and to shreds
Never again will their glitter Be able to turn people’s heads
At last your cold world will be robbed of It’s proud hypocritical glow
For we shall dissolve it as surely As sunlight dissolves the deep snow
(Skipping first of the three parts of the tune)
I’ll tear down your cobweb morality Shatter the old chain of lies
Catch all your blackhooded preachers And choke them as though they were flies
I’ll put a quick end to your heavens Your gods that are deaf to all prayer
Scatter your futile old spirits And clean up the earth and the air
And though you may choke me and shoot me And hang me your toil is in vain
No dungeon, no gallows can scare me Nor will I be frightened by pain
Each time I’ll arise from the earth And break through all your weapons of doom
Until you are finished forever Until you are dust in the tombÂ