Kingdom Come

It was seven months since 9/11
and the work was almost done
it was seven months since 9/11
and the work had just begun
ground zero lit the evening sky
like a beacon through the heart
the searchlights drove through heaven's doors
and blew them far apart
a few miles north on the hudson river
we had gathered for a sort of wake
nobody felt like celebrating
but the firemen needed some kind of break
they'd been to so many funerals
and seen so many god-awful sights
they'd been to ground zero from dawn to dusk
and round the clock some nights
To kingdom come, to hell and gone
to somewhere far away
where murder doesn't break the heart
on a sunny day
I was all dressed up like the rest of the crowd
at the roxy club that night
the men and women in uniform
tried hard to keep it light
kevin bacon played and sang
and folks began to smile
chris bodi played his silver horn
with rhythm and with style
i sang my song amazing grace
and people laughed and cried
ronan tynan sang danny boy and
not an eye was dry
steve buscemi spoke of life
at engine 55,
of how these heroes
stayed the course and
saved so many lives
To kingdom come, to hell and gone
to somewhere far away
where murder doesn't break the heart
on a sunny day

a burly man with a handsome face
stuck out his hand and smiled
say, meet my wife, we like your songs
we've been with you mile for mile
though he had a rugged face
i knew i saw the hurt
then he pointed to a spot above the collar of his shirt.
just look here on the back of my neck,
there's a tattoo, can you see?
just right here, i got up close
and saw the number 343,
the number of the firemen
who were lost upon that day
the numbers of those heroes,
ground zero was their grave
To kingdom come, to hell and gone
to somewhere far away
where murder doesn't break the heart
on a sunny day
Those firemen loaded up with gear
climbed to their death's that day
along with all the other hundreds
blasted on their way
police and ems and those
on whom death took its toll
and more whose dreams will never dawn,
more than three thousand souls
i left the party after that
i could not stay my tears,
for all our gifts for all our hopes
for all our nameless fears
for all our heroes, men and women
lost on that black day
those firemen with courage
in their hearts so strong and brave,
who made sure in their final hours
there were 30, 000 saved.
They've gone to where there are no tears
and every heart is gay,
and they won't be forgotten on a sunny day
To kingdom come, to hell and gone
to somewhere far away
where murder doesn't break the heart
on a sunny day
Where murder doesn't break the heart
on a sunny day.