I knew a man who lived in fear.
It was huge, it was angry, it was drawing near.
Behind his house, a secret place
was the shadow of a demon he could never face.
He built a wall of steel and flame
and men with guns to keep it tame.
And standing back, he made a claim
that the nightmare would never, ever rise again,
but the fear and the fire and the guns remain.
It doesn't matter now, it's over anyhow.
He tells the world that it's sleeping.
But as the night came 'round,
I heard its lonely sound.
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.
And then one day, the neighbors came.
They were curious to know about the smoke and flame.
They stood around, outside the wall,
but of course there was nothing to be heard at all.
"My friends," he said, "we've reached our goal.
The threat is under firm control.
As long as peace and order reign,
I'll be d***ed if I can see a reason to explain
why the fear and the fire and the guns remain."
It doesn't matter now, it's over anyhow.
He tells the world that it's sleeping.
But as the night came 'round,
I heard its lonely sound.
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.
Say ah, say ah, say ah, say ah.
Say ah, say ah, say ah, say ah. Ah!
[Ladysmith solo]
It doesn't matter now, it's over anyhow.
It doesn't matter now, it's over anyhow.
It doesn't matter now, it's over anyhow.
He tells the world that it's sleeping.
But as the night came 'round,
I heard its lonely sound.
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.
Say ah, say ah, say ah.
Say ah, say ah, say ah. Ah!
Say ah, say ah, say ah.
Say ah, say ah, say ah.
It was huge, it was angry, it was drawing near.
Behind his house, a secret place
was the shadow of a demon he could never face.
He built a wall of steel and flame
and men with guns to keep it tame.
And standing back, he made a claim
that the nightmare would never, ever rise again,
but the fear and the fire and the guns remain.
It doesn't matter now, it's over anyhow.
He tells the world that it's sleeping.
But as the night came 'round,
I heard its lonely sound.
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.
And then one day, the neighbors came.
They were curious to know about the smoke and flame.
They stood around, outside the wall,
but of course there was nothing to be heard at all.
"My friends," he said, "we've reached our goal.
The threat is under firm control.
As long as peace and order reign,
I'll be d***ed if I can see a reason to explain
why the fear and the fire and the guns remain."
It doesn't matter now, it's over anyhow.
He tells the world that it's sleeping.
But as the night came 'round,
I heard its lonely sound.
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.
Say ah, say ah, say ah, say ah.
Say ah, say ah, say ah, say ah. Ah!
[Ladysmith solo]
It doesn't matter now, it's over anyhow.
It doesn't matter now, it's over anyhow.
It doesn't matter now, it's over anyhow.
He tells the world that it's sleeping.
But as the night came 'round,
I heard its lonely sound.
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.
Say ah, say ah, say ah.
Say ah, say ah, say ah. Ah!
Say ah, say ah, say ah.
Say ah, say ah, say ah.