Holly Near Because of a Drum and a Song lyrics

A penny whistle, a rock and roll band
A symphony, a stick on an old tin can

A lullaby and a jazz quintet
A polka, a salsa and a minuet

A screaming guitar, a pounding beat
Dancing in heels or in bare feet

Wailing trumpets, piano rags
Fast tarantellas and tempos that lag

The drummers begin, the dancers arrive
And suddenly we know that we are alive

Choirs of peace, and marching bands
Soprano who hits all the notes nobody else can

A banjo, a koto, an oud, or darbuka
A cellist who dares to replace a bazooka

Cherokee Dance, a Mississippi blues
A troubadour daring to bring the news

Crossing the border, deep in the night
Ave Maria to hold off my fright


A sweatshop of noise where boredom can kill
Tapping her foot reflects a powerful will

Raising my children over the prison phone
Humming and humming so they won't feel alone

A child who can't sleep, a pain in her bones
A parent who sings so he won't feel alone

Teenagers survive behind headsets of sound
Escaping the terror of a family unwound

A church on alert - the choir sings out
And women in hats begin to shout

Shout to the heavens, a grand jubilee
Raging and twirling in ecstasy

Birds in the sky, and bees in the hive
We know we are dying and we know we're alive

How would my days have gone without a drum and a song?
How would my days have gone without a drum and a song?