What Was That Sound I Heard

by Samm Bennett - Polarity Records

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about

A song concerning the September 15, 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama.

Civil rights activists blamed George Wallace, the Governor of Alabama, for the killings. Birmingham was a violent city and was nicknamed “Bombingham”, because the city had experienced more than 50 bombings in black institutions and homes since World War I. Only a week before the bombing Wallace had told The New York Times that to stop integration Alabama needed a "few first-class funerals."

I made a video of historic photo images to accompany the song, which may be viewed here at YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HhobjMzShA

lyrics

What Was That Sound I Heard

what was that sound i heard
what was that sound i heard
what was that sound i heard
down in Birmingham

sounded like an explosion
sounded like an explosion
sounded like an explosion
down in Birmingham

at the 16th Street Baptist church
at the 16th Street Baptist church
at the 16th Street Baptist church
down in Birmingham

some Ku Klux Klansmen planted a bomb
some Ku Klux Klansmen planted a bomb
some Ku Klux Klansmen planted a bomb
down in Birmingham

four little girls were murdered there
four little girls were murdered there
four little girls were murdered there
down in Birmingham

no local politician attended their funerals
no local politician attended their funerals
no local politician attended their funerals
down in Birmingham

people we must never forget
we must never forget
we must never ever forget
what happened in Birmingham

and don’t ever it couldn’t happen again
don’t you ever think it couldn’t happen again
don’t you ever think it couldn’t happen again
down in Birmingham
or anywhere else in this land

credits

released June 19, 2020
Samm Bennett: vocal and all other instruments
Recorded at Polarity Studio, Tokyo, Japan
All Words and Music Copyright Samm Bennett - All Rights Reserved

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Samm Bennett - Polarity Records Tokyo, Japan

Singer and songwriter, player of unusual string instruments such as 3-string and 1-string guitar, plus jaw harps, mouthbow, electronics and junk, plus all manner of drums and percussion.

polarityrecords.com

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