The country is mourning the death of a soldier,
The death of a soldier who carried no gun.
A courageous soldier who died on his doorstep,
A soldier too brave to turn coward and run.
He never quit fighting, he never quit trying,
He never lost courage and never laid down.
He never lost hope and he never feared dying
And now they have laid him in Arlington ground.
Then sleep, Medgar Evers, your struggle is over,
They thought they could kill you but we know they were wrong,
They might lay you down in the quiet of Arlington
But while we’re living to fight will go on.
The White Council boys made their black ugly phone calls,
Threatening his wife and his children with death.
He spoke to his wife in the dark of their bedroom
And decided to fight them till his dying breath.
The warnings increased and the threats they grew harder
And once in the evening a fire bomb came,
His wife put it out and nobody was injured
And the fire-bombers laughed at their hideous game.
Then sleep, Medgar Evers, your struggle is over,
They thought they could kill you but we know they were wrong,
They might lay you down in the quiet of Arlington
But while we’re living to fight will go on.
Then young Medgar Evers instructed his children
And told them in case of violent sound
They were not to run to see what was the matter
But instantly throu themselves down to the ground.
The threats drew the man and his wife close together
In his arms she would lie in the dark of the night.
And though she was frightened for her husband’s safety
She never would ask him to give up the fight.
Then sleep, Medgar Evers, your struggle is over,
They thought they could kill you but we know they were wrong,
They might lay you down in the quiet of Arlington
But while we’re living to fight will go on.
One night he came home to the point of exhaustion
The porchlight was cheerfully brightening the night,
He walked up the steps as the sniper was aiming
The sniper who had him in his rifle sights.
The bullet struck home and the sniper went [?] flying
And Medgar’s young children, they ran to the door,
His wife tried to stop them but they saw their dad dying,
They saw their dad dying on the living room floor.
Then sleep, Medgar Evers, your struggle is over,
They thought they could kill you but we know they were wrong,
They might lay you down in the quiet of Arlington
But while we’re living to fight will go on.
The death of a soldier who carried no gun.
A courageous soldier who died on his doorstep,
A soldier too brave to turn coward and run.
He never quit fighting, he never quit trying,
He never lost courage and never laid down.
He never lost hope and he never feared dying
And now they have laid him in Arlington ground.
Then sleep, Medgar Evers, your struggle is over,
They thought they could kill you but we know they were wrong,
They might lay you down in the quiet of Arlington
But while we’re living to fight will go on.
The White Council boys made their black ugly phone calls,
Threatening his wife and his children with death.
He spoke to his wife in the dark of their bedroom
And decided to fight them till his dying breath.
The warnings increased and the threats they grew harder
And once in the evening a fire bomb came,
His wife put it out and nobody was injured
And the fire-bombers laughed at their hideous game.
Then sleep, Medgar Evers, your struggle is over,
They thought they could kill you but we know they were wrong,
They might lay you down in the quiet of Arlington
But while we’re living to fight will go on.
Then young Medgar Evers instructed his children
And told them in case of violent sound
They were not to run to see what was the matter
But instantly throu themselves down to the ground.
The threats drew the man and his wife close together
In his arms she would lie in the dark of the night.
And though she was frightened for her husband’s safety
She never would ask him to give up the fight.
Then sleep, Medgar Evers, your struggle is over,
They thought they could kill you but we know they were wrong,
They might lay you down in the quiet of Arlington
But while we’re living to fight will go on.
One night he came home to the point of exhaustion
The porchlight was cheerfully brightening the night,
He walked up the steps as the sniper was aiming
The sniper who had him in his rifle sights.
The bullet struck home and the sniper went [?] flying
And Medgar’s young children, they ran to the door,
His wife tried to stop them but they saw their dad dying,
They saw their dad dying on the living room floor.
Then sleep, Medgar Evers, your struggle is over,
They thought they could kill you but we know they were wrong,
They might lay you down in the quiet of Arlington
But while we’re living to fight will go on.
Contributed by Alessandro - 2009/6/8 - 14:05
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Note for non-Italian users: Sorry, though the interface of this website is translated into English, most commentaries and biographies are in Italian and/or in other languages like French, German, Spanish, Russian etc.
De La Beckwith, subito incriminato per l’omicidio, potè godere di processi farsa con giurie composte di soli bianchi. Per tutti gli anni ’60 e ’70 proseguì impunemente la sua carriera all’interno di organizzazioni suprematiste e razziste, come il Christian Identity Movement e il KKK, sempre vantando apertamente il suo coinvolgimento nell’assassinio di Evers. Nel 1973 l’FBI scoprì un piano ordito da De La Beckwith per assassinare un dirigente dell’organizzazione ebraica B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League. Soltanto nel 1994, in occasione del terzo processo per il delitto Evers, il bastardo fu finalmente condannato all’ergastolo. Se ne è andato all’inferno nel 2001.
(fonte: en.wikipedia)
Molte sono le canzoni dedicate alla figura e alla morte di Medgar Evers.
Su questo sito si vedano, in particolare, Medgar Evers Lullaby di Judy Collins, Mississippi Goddam di Nina Simone, Only A Pawn In Their Game di Bob Dylan, Too Many Martyrs (Ballad Of Medgar Evers) di Phil Ochs, Who Medgar Evers Was... di|Dälek.