Het is het verhaal van een anonieme jonge zwarte man die in een Zuidafrikaanse cel zit tijdens de apartheidsperiode. Hij is ter dood veroordeeld, en als ze hem komen halen is hij zo bang dat hij niet kan stoppen met huilen en jammeren, en dat hij niet meer op zijn benen kan staan. Dus bonden ze zijn handen op zijn rug en sleepten hem vanuit zijn cel naar de galg. Terwijl ze hem voortsleepten bleef hij jammeren en smeken. Toen begonnen alle andere zwarte mannen vanuit hun cellen in de gevangenis een vrijheidslied te zingen, en ze bleven zingen tot hij dood was. Het is waarschijnlijk het laatste dat hij gehoord heeft.
Dit waargebeurde verhaal maakte op Eric Bogle zo'n diepe indruk dat hij er in 1986 dit lied over geschreven heeft.
In de versie die ik ken wordt het laatste couplet (Courage, brother, you do not walk alone, we shall walk with you and sing your spirit home) herhaald gezongen door een mannenkoortje.
Meer kippevelliedjes:
- And the band played Waltzing Matilda
- Kilkelly
- Ellis Unit One
- Amsterdam huilt
- Across the great divide
- Strange Fruit
- Sam Stone
- Miss Otis Regrets
- Sammy's Song
- Horse out in the rain
They came for him in the morning, an hour before dawning
The pale white moon was waning in the African sky
The cell door flew wide open, they stood looking at him
He saw no mercy in their hearts, no pity in their eyes
He felt his courage leave him, his manhood disappear
His legs would not support him, so from the cell they dragged him
He sobbed and screamed and cursed them in his loneliness and fear
Chains, chains, chains
How many souls have died in freedom's name
To some it is a way of life, to others just a word
To some it is a snow-white dove, to some a bloody sword
But until the last chains fall, freedom will make slaves of us all
With faces closed and hidden the white guards walked beside him
Indifferent to his pleading - they'd been down this path before
But other eyes were watching, other ears were listening
Other hearts beat with him in his final desperate hour
From the darkness of that prison came the sound of his brothers singing
Courage, their voices told him, you do not walk alone
From their cells beyond the shadow he heard their voices echo
As in love and pride and sorrow they sang his spirit home
Chains, chains, chains
How many souls have died in freedom's name
To some it is a way of life, to others just a word
To some it is a snow-white dove, to some a bloody sword
But until the last chains fall, freedom will make slaves of us all
And their song of hope and freedom, it rang inside that prison
It beat against the iron bars and crashed against the stone
As in their fear and hate they hung him, the last sound that filled his being
Was his brothers singing, singing his spirit home
Courage, brother, you do not walk alone
We shall walk with you and sing your spirit home
(ends with singing of SHOSHOLOSA)