I knew a man who lived in fear
It was huge, it was angry,
It was drawing near.
Behind his house a secret place
Was the shadow of the demon
He could never face.

He built a wall of steel and flame
And men with guns to keep it tame
Then standing back he made it plain
That the nightmare would never ever rise again
But the fear and the fire and the guns remain.

It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow
He tells the world that it's sleeping
But as the night came round I heard
Its lonely sound
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.

And then one day the neighbours came
They were curious to know about the smoke and flame
They stood around outside the wall
But of course there was nothing to be heard at all
"My friends," he said, "We've reached our goal
The threat is under firm control
As long as peace and order reign
I'll be damned if I can see a reason to explain
Why the fear and the fire and the guns remain."

It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow
He tells the world that it's sleeping
But as the night came round I heard
Its lonely sound
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.

Say ah, say ah, say ah
Say ah, say ah, say ah

[Ladysmith's solo]

It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow
It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow

It doesn't matter now it's over anyhow
He tells the world that it's sleeping
But as the night came round I heard
Its lonely sound
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping
It wasn't roaring, it was weeping.

Say ah, say ah, say ah
Say ah, say ah, say ah [to end]