Dead Confederate

Alabama Alabama, heat lightning from The Nick

All I see is project housing, chicken bones and broken bricks

Standing, I been standing best part of 80 years

with my Jim Crow benediction, ropes and hoods and local cheer

Fighting, we were fighting and our namesake killed for Southern Gods

Dying, we were dying, Lucifer's divining rod

Selling, we were selling, the bodies of black boys and girls

Yelling, we were yelling, Rebel Yell heard round the world

Hey now baby I'm a dead confederate, 80 years I stood my ground

I ain't sorry, ain't regretting it, now they're trying to tear me down

Hey now baby I'm a dead confederate, rebel pride, a heart of stone

I ain't worried, I ain't sweating it, wish they'd just leave me alone

Snowflakes, August snowflakes, falling here in Birmingham

and I never claim to think too deep and I never said I understand

Swallowing my granite pride, they haul me out to gravel pits

Forget that I lived and died, smash me up to chips and bits

Buying selling humans was good work if you could get it

Well the South could build great pyramids or rise up if you let it

But they shine their light of righteousness upon my unclaimed darkest deeds

Pulling up my withered roots, poisoning my righteous seed

Jesus was a white man and he promised we could rule

So we burn his holy cross in honor, hang the negro and the fool

and Baby, I will rise again out on Highway 29

In the meantime, I'll join the Earth, bide my wicked sands of time

Hey now baby I'm a dead confederate, 80 years I stood my ground

I ain't sorry, ain't regretting it, now they're trying to tear me down

Hey now baby I'm a dead confederate, rebel pride, a heart of stone

I ain't worried, I ain't sweating it, wish they'd just leave me alone