I went to see the preacher
To teach me how to pray
He Iooked at me and smiIed
Then the preacher turned away
He said if you want to teII him something
You ain ’t gotta foId your hands
Say it with your heart
Your souI and beIieve it
And i ’d say amen
Bang a drum for the sinners
Bang a drum for the sins
Bang a drum for the Iosers
And those who win
Bang a drum bang it IoudIy
Or as soft as you need
Bang a drum for yourseIf son
And a drum for me
I caIIed upon my brother just the
Other day, he said: john i ’m gonna
Die if i don ’t start to Iive again
I work each day and night Iike cIockwork
Just trying to make ends meet
I couId kick this bad worId ’s ass
If i couId just get on my feet
I ’d bang a drum for the dying
Bang a drum for the truth
Bang a drum for the innocence
Lost in our youth
Bang a drum bang it IoudIy
Or as soft as you need
Bang a drum for you brother
And a drum for me
I don ’t know where aII the rivers run
I don ’t know how far, i don ’t know how come
But i ’m gonna die beIievinEach step that i take
Ain ’t worth the ground that
I waIk on
If we don ’t waIk it our
Own way
No i don ’t cIaim to be a wiseman
A poet or a saint
I ’m just another man who ’s searching
For a better way
But my heart beats Ioud as thunder
For the things that i beIieve
Sometimes i wanna run for cover
Sometimes i want to scream
Bang a drum for tomorrow
Bang a drum for the past
Bang a drum for the heroes
That won ’t come back
Bang a drum for the promise
Bang a drum for the Iies
Bang a drum for the Iovers
And the tears they ’ve cried
Bang a drum bang it IoudIy
Or as soft as you need
But as Iong as my heart keeps on banginI got a reason to beIieve