D                   Bm          G           D
They came for him in the morning, an hour before dawning
    D                   Bm            G       A
The pale white moon was waning in the African sky
    D                   Bm         G             D
The cell door flew wide open, they stood looking at him
   D                     Bm         G    A        D
He saw no mercy in their hearts, no pity in their eyes

[Verse 2]
        D                 Bm                  G                 D
As they took him and they bound him, tied his trembling hands behind him
   D                Bm             G           A
He felt his courage leave him, his manhood disappear
    D                 Bm           G                  D
His legs would not support him, so from the cell they dragged him
   D                       Bm                 G     A        D
He sobbed and screamed and cursed them in his loneliness and fear

[Chorus]
D       A       D
Chains, chains, chains
    G               A                 D
How many souls have died in freedom's name
   G            A               D             Bm
To some it is a way of life, to others just a word
   G            A                   D             Bm
To some it is a snow-white dove, to some a bloody sword
      G       A           Bm    G                 A            D
But until the last chains fall, freedom will make slaves of us all

[Verse 3]
     D                Bm         G                     D
With faces closed and hidden the white guards walked beside him
  D                Bm                     G                A
Indifferent to his pleading - they'd been down this path before
    D               Bm        G               D
But other eyes were watching, other ears were listening
D                 Bm              G     A         D
Other hearts beat with him in his final desperate hour

[Verse 4]
         D                Bm              G                     D
From the darkness of that prison came the sound of his brothers singing
 D                    Bm            G            A
Courage, their voices told him, you do not walk alone
           D                Bm        G                  D
From their cells beyond the shadow he heard their voices echo
      D                  Bm          G        A      D
As in love and pride and sorrow they sang his spirit home

[Chorus]
D       A       D
Chains, chains, chains
    G               A                 D
How many souls have died in freedom's name
   G            A               D             Bm
To some it is a way of life, to others just a word
   G            A                   D             Bm
To some it is a snow-white dove, to some a bloody sword
      G       A           Bm    G                 A            D
But until the last chains fall, freedom will make slaves of us all

[Verse 5]
          D                Bm          G                D
And their song of hope and freedom, it rang inside that prison
   D                Bm            G                   A
It beat against the iron bars and crashed against the stone
            D                  Bm                 G                     D
As in their fear and hate they hung him, the last sound that filled his being
        D        Bm       G           A      D
Was his brothers singing, singing his spirit home

[Outro]
D                     A            D
Courage, brother, you do not walk alone
D                          A         D
We shall walk with you and sing your spirit home