High on a hillside out of town
My grave just cannot hold me
Lying still beneath the stars
I am cold and I am lonely
Kill me quickly, kill me slow
My friends are not here with me
Lying over yonder in the soil
And both were murdered with me
Long and scorching summer days
With Mississippi burning
Black and white and white and black
Their world will keep on turning
Mississippi burning
Clouds come tumbling down
Truth be told it's turning
And I'm turning in the ground
Sail on, sail on up
This mighty river
Lay my soul to rest
God will deliver
Mississippi burning
Clouds come tumbling down
Truth be told it's turning
And I'm turning in the ground
Many a good soul lost their life
And we were just three of them
Arm in arm we stood our ground
For something to believe in
Lynch the truth it will not die
It just comes back to haunt us
Tell the truth and do not lie
Our memory must be ageless
Sail on, sail on up
This mighty river
Lay my soul to rest
God will deliver
Sail on, sail on up
This mighty river
Lay my soul to rest
God will deliver