Ballad Of Old Monroe chords and lyrics - PETE SEEGER

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[Verse 1]
[D]Gather round me, you Americans,
if you be[G]lieve in right and [A]wrong.
[D]The [G]newspapers have [A]ignored this,
I'll tell it in a song.
[D]The papers and the TV
never told [G]a story straight.
[D]So listen now[G], I will to [A]you,
[D]the hon[A]est facts relate.
[D]Let me take you to a corner
of [G]this world
that we call free.
[D]It's [G]Monroe, North Carolina,
[D]where the Klan [A]rules [D]by decree.
Now, maybe you thought
the Klan was dead
and buried [G]long [D]ago.
Well, in August [G]1961
[D]you should have bee[A]n in old Monroe.
[D]It's a town of about ten thousand,
it could [G]be a [D]pretty place.
[A]But [G]there's uncertainty [D]and fear
to be [A]seen on many a [D]face.[G][D][G]
[D][A][D]
A railroad slices through Monroe,
it's [G]not one town, but [A]two towns.
[G]On the right, Monroe [D]is white,
and [A]on the left is Newtown.
[D]Eighteen Freedom Riders
came in [G]Au gust 61,
[D]at the call of young Rob[G] Williams,[D]
[A]to see what could be done.
[D]Robert Williams was a leader,
a [G]gi ant of a [A]man.
[D]He [G]said, let's protect our [A]families
from the violence of the [D]Klan.
Well, the Klansmen, they got busy,
they came [G]from everywhere,[D]
[G]All armed with guns and pis[D]tols,
and Chief [A]Mooney didn't care.
[D]They staged a bloody riot,
and the deck [G]was surely [D]stacked,
[G]Cause the only ones arrested
[D]were the ones [A]who were
[D]attacked.[G][D][G]
[D][A][D]
Now listen for the frame -up
Did the [G]Klan lay a plan
[D]To trap [G]Williams and [D]his friends
[A]And make him flee the land
[D]A couple by name of Stiegel
Were [G]driving in a [A]car
[D]They [G]drove right into Newtown
[D]That [A]was a bit too far
[D]For Negroes live in Newtown
And [G]on that fatal day
[D]They'd [G]set their lines [D]of self -defense
again[A]st the KKK.
[D]The Stigols,
they were frightened.
They're stopped [G]at Williams'
[A]door.
[G]And Robert Williams told [D]the crowd
[A]to let the Stigols go.
[D]He said, come on inside my house,
you'll get hurt [G]if you [A]stay here.
[G]And Williams led the Stigols
[D]inside [A]his own house there.
[D]And though this man had saved them,
police [G]got on his trail.
[D]Noth[G]ing less than a kid
[A]napped charge,
twenty years to life in [D]jail.
And then the mighty FBI
[G]joined in
to help the Klan,
[D]With vicious pos[G]ters tacked up[D]
in post offices [A]through the land,
[D]Saying Rob was armed and dangerous,
and schizo[G]phrenic too,
[D]As though to [G]shoot him down
[D]on sight
would be the safest [A]thing to do.
[D]But Rob escaped to Canada,
and then [G]to Mexico,
[D]an d now [G]he stays in Cuba
[A]where the FBI can't [D]go.
[G][A][D][G][D][A][D]
And now a make -believe trial
comes in [G]1962
[D]an [G]d we are wondering
if in [D]Monroe
that justice [A]can come through.
[D]Perhaps when it gets
to the Supreme Court
they'll [G]get a better shake,
[D]But [G]it's in the hearts of you [A]an d me,
the decision must be made.
[D]For we are all as guilty,
till we make [G]that day to come,
[D]When Rober[G]t Williams can [D]re turn
to his Union [A]County [D]home.
So listen, Mr. President,
and listen, [G]Brother Bob,
[D]If you de [G]fend the free wor[A]ld,
[D]here is [A]a little job.
[D]If you don't believe the words I say,
[G]go see it for yourself.
[D]Go [G]down and visit old Mon[A]roe,
but be careful of your health.
[D]There's lots of good people in Monroe,
but [G]they are scared to [D]say,
Go [G]down to old [D]Monroe, Bob,
tell them [A]this is [D]the USA.
They say the German people
the crimes [G]of Hitler never knew,
[D]Well, let[G] American people see[D]
what fascist[A]s here can do,
[D]For we've had enough of murder,
we've [G]had enough of [D]lies,
[A]And the Ku [G]Klux Klan
and ol' [A]Monroe
is due to be surprised.
[D]For in Washington and round
the world
we're being [G]asked today
[D]Is Monroe, [G]North Carolina
[D]in the [A]good ol' USA?
[D]Monroe, Monroe,
I [G]hear those voices [D]say
Is [G]Monroe, North Carolin[D]a
in the [A]good ol' [D]USA?
Bye