1
He was my brother
Five years older than I
He was my brother
Twenty-three years old the day he died
Freedom writer
They cursed my brother to his face
Go home outsider
This town's gonna be your buryin' place
He was singin' on his knees
An angry mob trailed along
They shot my brother dead
Because he hated what was wrong
He was my brother
Tears can't bring him back to me
He was my brother
And he died so his brothers could be free
He died so his brothers could be free
Five years older than I
He was my brother
Twenty-three years old the day he died
Freedom writer
They cursed my brother to his face
Go home outsider
This town's gonna be your buryin' place
He was singin' on his knees
An angry mob trailed along
They shot my brother dead
Because he hated what was wrong
He was my brother
Tears can't bring him back to me
He was my brother
And he died so his brothers could be free
He died so his brothers could be free
Lyrics submitted by kevin
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
This song sends chills down my spine? Anyone know if this is a true story? I don't suppose so, but the emotion behind it is so immense, I almost think it happened to Paul himself.
@sgdp Andrew Goodman, a civil rights activist was shot down in MI in 1964 by the Koo klux klan because he (and to quote the song,) "Hated what was wrong!".
@sgdp yes it’s a true story! 1961 …based on the real life freedom riders that left from Washington DC who set out on a bus ride with African Americans and whites to travel through the south to New Orleans… to test segregation laws prohibiting Interstate travel .. Violence ensued throughout the trip.. It wasn’t till 1964 the murders happened The movie Mississippi Burning tells their story.