Ralph McTell — Birdman

You can kill me if you can But the last thing you need's another dead man Writing with black ink on your page And I swear that death won't kill my rage For it'll take more to hold my tongue Than your prison and your knives and your clubs and your guns For it'll take more to hold my tongue Than your prison and your knives and your clubs and your guns I will not do what you say's wise And I don't want no peace prize I'm a birdman but there's no cage That's strong enough to hold my rage For it'll take more to hold my tongue Than your prison and your knives and your clubs and your guns Now, John Henry told his captain That a man ain't nothing but a man But before I let this machine grind me down I'll die with my hammer I'll die with my hammer I'll die with my hammer in my hand You can kill me if you can But the last thing you need's another dead man Writing with black ink on your page And I swear that death won't kill my rage It'll take more to hold my tongue Than your prison and your knives and your clubs and your guns Those bells do ring, ding dong ding And I don't fear no guard When freedom come maybe with a gun Outside in the prison yard Now, the birdman told his jailor A man ain't nothing but a man But before I let your system grind me down I'll die with my gun I'll die with my gun I'll die with my gun in my hand I'm a birdman, oh watch me fly I'm a birdman, death, death She can't hold me