Brad's Paul Simon Guitar Tablature Page (www.bradpriddy.com/paul_simon)
............................ A Church is Burning ..........................
Copyright © 1965 Paul Simon
From the Paul Simon Songbook.
Transcribed by John McGann.
Although this is played on a 12 string guitar in the recording, it sounds
quite nice on a six string guitar too, though not as full sounding.
% indicates a repeat of the previous measure.
Capo 1st fret, 12 string guitar (see tuning info on main page)
D
e:|--2----------0-0-|--2---0h2----0-0-|--2----------0-0-|--0h2--2-2-0-0-0-|
B:|--3----------3-3-|--3---3-3----3-3-|--3----------3-3-|--3-3--3-3-0-0-0-|
G:|--2--strum---2-2-|--2---2-2----2-2-|--2--strum---2-2-|--2-2--2-2-0-0-0-|
D:|--0----------0-0-|--0---0-0----0-0-|--0----------0-0-|--0-0--0-0-0-0-0-|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A G D
e:|----5------------|-----------------|----2--0---------|-2-----------0-0-|
B:|----2------------|-------0-----0---|----3--3---------|-3-----------3-3-|
G:|----2---strum----|-----0-------0---|----2--2--strum--|-2--strum----2-2-|
D:|----2------------|-----0-----0-----|--0-0--0---------|-0-----------0-0-|
A:|--0-0------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|--3-------2-(0)--|-----------------|-----------------|
D * D A
e:|-2-----------0-0-|--2--------------|--2--------------|-----------------|
B:|-3-----------3-3-|--3--------------|--3--------------|--2--------------|
G:|-2--strum----2-2-|--2----strum-----|--2----strum-----|--2----strum-----|
D:|-0-----------0-0-|--0--------------|--0--------------|--2--------------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--0--------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A church is burn -
A G D
e:|-----------------|-----------------|--2----------0-0-|--0h2------------|
B:|--2--------------|--0--------------|--3----------3-3-|--3-3------------|
G:|--2----strum-----|--0----strum-----|--2--strum---2-2-|--2-2---strum----|
D:|--2--------------|--0--------------|--0----------0-0-|--0-0------------|
A:|--0--------------|--2--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|--3-------(2)----|-----------------|-----------------|
- - - - ing the
D G D
e:|--2--------------|-----------------|--2------------0-|--0h2-0h2--2--2--|
B:|--3--------------|--0--0-----------|--3------------3-|--3---3----3--3--|
G:|--2----strum-----|--0--0-------2---|--2--strum-----2-|--2---2----2--2--|
D:|--0--------------|--0--0-------0---|--0------------0-|--0---0----0--0--|
A:|-----------------|--2--2-------0---|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|--3--3----2------|-----------------|-----------------|
flames rise high - - er like
D F#m Em G
e:|--2--------------|--2--------------|-----------------|--3--------------|
B:|--3--------------|--2--------------|--0---0----------|--0--------------|
G:|--2----strum-----|--2----strum-----|--0---0--strum---|--0----strum-----|
D:|--0--------------|--4--------------|--0h2-2----------|--0--------------|
A:|-----------------|--4--------------|--0h2-2----------|--2--------------|
E:|-----------------|--2--------------|--0---0----------|--3--------------|
hands that are pray - ing a - glow in the
Asus4 A D
e:|-----------------|-----------------|--2------------0-|--2---0-2--------|
B:|--3--------------|--2--3-2---------|--3------------3-|--3---3-3--------|
G:|--2----strum-----|--2--2-2--strum--|--2---strum----2-|--2---2-2--strum-|
D:|--2--------------|--2--2-2---------|--0------------0-|--0-0---0--------|
A:|--0--------------|--0--0-0---------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
sky like hands that are praying the
G D G D $
e:|-----------------|--2--------------|-----------------|--2--------------|
B:|-----------------|--3--------------|-----------------|--3--------------|
G:|----0-0----------|--2----strum-----|----0-0----------|--2----strum-----|
D:|----0-0----------|--0--------------|----0-0----------|--0--------------|
A:|----2-2----------|--0--------------|----2-2----------|--0--------------|
E:|--3------2---0---|-----------------|--3-------2---0--|-----------------|
fire is saying you can burn down my churches but
A D
e:|-----------------|--2----------0-0-|--2----------0-0-|-----------------|
B:|--2--------------|--3----------3-3-|--3----------3-3-|-----------------|
G:|--2----strum-----|--2--strum---2-2-|--2--strum---2-2-|--------%--------|
D:|--2--------------|--0----------0-0-|--0----------0-0-|-----------------|
A:|--0--------------|--0--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
I shall be free
D Em D
e:|--0h2-2----------|-----------------|-----------------|----2-----2------|
B:|--3---3----------|-----------------|-----------------|-----3------3----|
G:|--2---2--strum---|------0----------|------0----------|----2-------2----|
D:|--0---0----------|--------2------2-|--------2--------|--0-----0--------|
A:|-----------------|----2--------2---|----2-------2----|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|--0--------0-----|--0--------------|-----------------|
Three hooded men through the backroads did
D Em D
e:|--2-----2--------|-----------------|-----------------|----2-----2------|
B:|-----3--3--------|-----------------|-----------------|-----3------3----|
G:|----2---2-strum--|------0----------|------0----------|----2-------2----|
D:|--0-----0--------|--------2------2-|--------2--------|--0-----0--------|
A:|--------0--------|----2--------2---|----2-------2----|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|--0--------0-----|--0--------------|-----------------|
creep torches in their hands while the village lies
D G D G
e:|--2-----2--------|-----------------|--2--------------|-----------------|
B:|-----3--3--------|-----0------0----|--3--------------|-----------------|
G:|----2---2-strum--|-----0------0----|--2----strum-----|--0----strum-----|
D:|--0-----0--------|-----0------0----|--0--------------|--2--------------|
A:|--------0--------|-----2-----------|-----------------|--3--------------|
E:|-----------------|--3------2-------|-----------------|-----------------|
asleep down to the church where just hours
D G D
e:|-----2-----------|-----------------|--2--------------|-----------------|
B:|-----3-----------|-----0------0----|--3--------------|-----0------0----|
G:|-----2--strum----|-----0------0----|--2----strum-----|-----0------0----|
D:|--0--0-----------|-----0------0----|--0--------------|-----0------0----|
A:|-----------------|-----2-----------|-----------------|-----2-----------|
E:|-----------------|--3------2-------|-----------------|--3------2-------|
before voices were singing and hands were
D [These two measures, 1st time only] A
e:|--2--------------|-----------------|--2--------------|-----------------|
B:|--3--------------|-----0------0----|--3--------------|--2--------------|
G:|--2----strum-----|-----0------0----|--2----strum-----|--2----strum-----|
D:|--0--------------|-----0------0----|--0--------------|--2--------------|
A:|-----------------|-----2-----------|-----------------|--0--------------|
E:|-----------------|--3------2-------|-----------------|-----------------|
beating saying I won't be a slave any-
D
e:|--2----------0-0-|--0h2-2----------|
B:|--3----------3-3-|--3---3----------|
G:|--2--strum---2-2-|--2---2--strum---|
D:|--0----------0-0-|--0---0----------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|
more and a
Return to * for the chorus and verse two.
Then return to * again for the chorus and verse three.
Finally return to * for the last chorus and take the $ jump to:
$:
Bm G
e:|--2--------------|-----------------|--3--------------|-----------------|
B:|--3--------------|-----------------|--0--------------|-----------------|
G:|--4----strum-----|-------%---------|--0----strum-----|--------%--------|
D:|--4--------------|-----------------|--0--------------|-----------------|
A:|--2--------------|-----------------|--2--------------|-----------------|
E:|--2--------------|-----------------|--3--------------|-----------------|
but I
A Asus4 A D
e:|-----------------|-----------------|--2----------0-0-|-----------------|
B:|--2----------3---|--2--------------|--3----------3-3-|-----------------|
G:|--2--strum---2---|--2----strum-----|--2--strum---2-2-|--------%--------|
D:|--2----------2---|--2--------------|--0----------0-0-|-----------------|
A:|--0----------0---|--0--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
shall be free
D D
e:|-----------------|--2-----2--------|
B:|-----------------|--3-----3--------|
G:|--------%--------|--2-----2--------|
D:|-----------------|--0-----0--------|
A:|-----------------|-----------------|
E:|-----------------|-----------------|
Lyrics:
A church is burning.
The flames rise higher.
Like hands that are praying a-glow in the sky.
Like hands that are praying the fire is saying,
"You can burn down my churches, but I shall be free."
Three hooded men through the backroads did creep,
Torches in their hands while the village lies asleep,
Down to the church where just hours before,
Voices were singing and hands were beating,
And saying, "I won't be a slave anymore."
(chorus)
Three hooded men, their hands lit the spark.
Then they faded in the night and they vanished in the dark.
And in the cool light of morning there's nothing that remains,
But the ashes of a bible and a can of kerosene.
(chorus)
A church is more than just timber and stone.
And freedom is a dark road when you're walking it alone.
But the future is now and it's time to take a stand,
So the lost bells of freedom can ring out in my land.
(chorus)