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Dudley Randall’s “The Ballad of Birmingham” Lyrics by MsU

MsUIBPoetryIntro

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"Mother dear, may I go downtown
Instead of out to play,
And march the streets of Birmingham
In a Freedom March today?"
"No, baby, no, you may not go,
For the dogs are fierce and wild,
And clubs and hoses, guns and jails
Aren't good for a little child."
"But, mother, I won't be alone.
Other children will go with me,
And march the streets of Birmingham
To make our country free."
"No baby, no, you may not go
For I fear those guns will fire.
But you may go to church instead
And sing in the children's choir."
She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair,
And bathed rose petal sweet,
And drawn white gloves on her small brown hands,
And white shoes on her feet.
The mother smiled to know that her child
Was in the sacred place,
But that smile was the last smile
To come upon her face.
For when she heard the explosion,
Her eyes grew wet and wild.
She raced through the streets of Birmingham
Calling for her child.
She clawed through bits of glass and brick,
Then lifted out a shoe.
"O, here's the shoe my baby wore,
But, baby, where are you?"
Credits
MsU

MsU

About “Dudley Randall’s “The Ballad of Birmingham”” by MsU

Read the complete lyrics to "Dudley Randall’s “The Ballad of Birmingham”" by MsU from the album "MsUIBPoetryIntro". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"Dudley Randall’s “The Ballad of Birmingham”" is performed by MsU. from the album "MsUIBPoetryIntro" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Dudley Randall’s “The Ballad of Birmingham”", explore more songs by MsU using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Dudley Randall’s “The Ballad of Birmingham”" is credited to MsU. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Dudley Randall’s “The Ballad of Birmingham”" appears on "MsUIBPoetryIntro".

Visit the MsU artist page at /artist/msu for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.