The Stink - The Ballad of James Lyrics

Don't you worry, don't you cry, don't shed no tears for me
They won't give you no reprieve
And I will never say goodbye, long live liberty
And I will be your reason to believe

This is the story, this is the song
A man's personal hymn
For all his fury and standing strong
When his future was grim
Well, his name was James, he ain't play no games
Wasn't aiming for fame when it found him
Though he could sing like anything
Wasn't trying to be king til we crowned him
Oh, how we'd hound him
Pretty soon he was famous
The money-men came for his soul
They'd say "sign on the line..." but he'd always decline
That's how James maintained his control
And so James became the enemy
And the songs that he sang were his weaponry
All the boys at the top, every lawyer and cop
Wanted James in a state penitentiary

So they framed him up for treason
And locked poor James away
But on the news, in interviews
He just had this to say

Don't you worry, don't you cry, don't shed no tears for me
They won't give you no reprieve
And I will never say goodbye, long live liberty
And I will be your reason to believe

Overnight, the frame came to light
We called for his release
He took up the fight of the common man's plight
Without disturbing the peace
But the businessmen couldn't stand it
James' head in their hands they demanded
So to silence his voice, they riled up their boys
They said "do what you must, but be candid..."
Then they planned it
They kidnapped him and beat him
They put a gun to his head
They said "boy, you just sang your last song about freedom"
"But you won't sing much when you're dead..."
Btu tied up in chains, his pride still remained
His eyes were trained on the villains
He said, steady and clear, "you can't kill an idea..."
"It's only a man that you're killing"

But power don't listen to reason
And cowards won't reason with men
And now we might forget what he got in the end
We'll never forget what he said, he said

Don't you worry, don't you cry, don't shed no tears for me
They won't give you time to grieve
And I will never say goodbye, long live liberty
And I will be your reason to believe