Lyrics
On the streets of New York city when the hour was getting
Setting the scene in New York City as tension builds.
There were young men armed with knives and guns, young men armed with hateAnd Lou Marsh stepped between them and died there in his tracks
Lou Marsh intervenes between warring young men, resulting in his death.
For one man is no army when the city turns its back Now the streets are empty, now the streets are dark
Emphasizing the inadequacy of one person when a city is indifferent.
So keep an eye on shadows and never pass the park
Caution to be vigilant in the absence of order, especially near the park.
For the city is a jungle when the law is out of sight
Describing the city as dangerous when law and order are absent.
And death lurks in El Barrio with the orphans of the night
Highlighting the threat of death in El Barrio, particularly for the vulnerable.
He left behind a chamber of a church he served so long
Lou Marsh's departure from his long-serving role in a church.
For he learned the prayers of distant men will never right the wrongs
Expressing the futility of distant prayers to address societal injustices.
His church became an alley and his pulpit was the street
Transformation of Lou Marsh's church into the streets, making them his pulpit.
He made his congregation from the boys he used to meet
Building a congregation from the troubled boys he used to encounter.
There were two gangs approaching in spanish Harlem town
Introduction of two approaching gangs in Spanish Harlem.
The smell of blood was in the air, the challenge was laid down
Sensing impending violence with the challenge laid down.
He felt their blinding hatred, and he tried to save their lives
Lou Marsh feels the intense hatred and attempts to save their lives.
And the answer that they gave him was their fists and feet and knives
The gangs respond violently to Lou Marsh's intervention.
Will Lou Marsh lie forgotten in his cold and silent grave?
Raising the question of whether Lou Marsh's sacrifice will be forgotten.
Will his memory still linger on, in those he tried to save?
Questioning if his memory will endure, especially among those he tried to help.
All of us who knew him will now and then recall
Reflecting on how those who knew Lou Marsh will occasionally remember him.
And shed a tear on poverty, tombstone of us all
Connecting Lou Marsh's legacy to the broader issue of poverty affecting everyone.
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