Barry McGuire — Salvation Man

With eyes that seemed to pierce my heart And a look that went right through me This man whose smile could lift the dark Was a-marchin' with the army His back was bent with the years he'd spent Helpin' out the others Drunk or blind, without a cent To him, we all were brothers He did not have a weapon Just a Bible in his hand And an old brass horn he carried As he marched on with the band I watched him search the winter night To find the starving children He'd wrap them in his coat real tight And take them home to feed them He never seemed to be afraid No, the darkness could not stop him All the alleys held the friends he made The midnight drifters knew him He did not have a weapon Just a Bible in his hand And an old brass horn he carried As he marched on with the band Salvation man A-marchin' to the beat of a different drum Salvation man A-makin' royalty out of ghetto bums Fightin' for his King in the city slums Salvation man A crowd gathered 'round the band By the tavern on the corner I wondered whether I could stand Like him to face the scorners He preached the love of Jesus To the people as they mocked him This soldier they all called a fool Just turned his cheek to love them He did not have a weapon Just a Bible in his hand And an old brass horn he carried As he marched on with the band One day he was promoted To glory in the sky I saw his place was empty As the band went marchin' by And I looked around to see If anyone would volunteer Then I gathered up my courage And I put away my fear Now I do not have a weapon Just his Bible in my hand And the old brass horn he carried As I march on with the band Salvation man A-marchin' to the beat of a different drum Salvation man A-makin' royalty out of ghetto bums Fightin' for my King in the city slums Salvation man