Verse 1
     D                   Bm          G           D 
They came for him in the morning, an hour before dawning 
    D                   Bm            G       A 
The pale white moon was waning in the African sky 
    D                   Bm         G             D 
The cell door flew wide open, they stood looking at him 
   D                     Bm         G    A        D 
He saw no mercy in their hearts, no pity in their eyes 
 
Verse 2
        D                 Bm                  G                 D 
As they took him and they bound him, tied his trembling hands behind him 
   D                Bm             G           A 
He felt his courage leave him, his manhood disappear 
    D                 Bm           G                  D 
His legs would not support him, so from the cell they dragged him 
   D                       Bm                 G     A        D 
He sobbed and screamed and cursed them in his loneliness and fear 
 
Chorus
D       A       D 
Chains, chains, chains 
    G               A                 D 
How many souls have died in freedom's name 
   G            A               D             Bm 
To some it is a way of life, to others just a word 
   G            A                   D             Bm 
To some it is a snow-white dove, to some a bloody sword 
      G       A           Bm    G                 A            D 
But until the last chains fall, freedom will make slaves of us all 
 
Verse 3
     D                Bm         G                     D 
With faces closed and hidden the white guards walked beside him 
  D                Bm                     G                A 
Indifferent to his pleading - they'd been down this path before 
    D               Bm        G               D 
But other eyes were watching, other ears were listening 
D                 Bm              G     A         D 
Other hearts beat with him in his final desperate hour 
 
Verse 4
         D                Bm              G                     D 
From the darkness of that prison came the sound of his brothers singing 
 D                    Bm            G            A 
Courage, their voices told him, you do not walk alone 
           D                Bm        G                  D 
From their cells beyond the shadow he heard their voices echo 
      D                  Bm          G        A      D 
As in love and pride and sorrow they sang his spirit home 
 
Chorus
D       A       D 
Chains, chains, chains 
    G               A                 D 
How many souls have died in freedom's name 
   G            A               D             Bm 
To some it is a way of life, to others just a word 
   G            A                   D             Bm 
To some it is a snow-white dove, to some a bloody sword 
      G       A           Bm    G                 A            D 
But until the last chains fall, freedom will make slaves of us all 
 
Verse 5
          D                Bm          G                D 
And their song of hope and freedom, it rang inside that prison 
   D                Bm            G                   A 
It beat against the iron bars and crashed against the stone 
            D                  Bm                 G                     D 
As in their fear and hate they hung him, the last sound that filled his being 
        D        Bm       G           A      D 
Was his brothers singing, singing his spirit home 
 
Outro
D                     A            D 
Courage, brother, you do not walk alone 
D                          A         D 
We shall walk with you and sing your spirit home