St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Blues

Stained-glass and the choir sing out that strong and ceaseless chorus here

So sweet the voices, sweep like leaves into the street

On eastern, a celebration carried on for God and hope and refuge

To keep each other, life; give shelter from the storm and keep warm

The congregation gathers outside in the parking lot, each service done

They keep the old hymn rolling on and on and

I see the scene in color each day driving out to eastown

That old abandoned church and have I gone the same sad way?

Have I gone the same sad way?

Through the sixties flourished and the seventies in flux

The eighties fluctuate each year unclear of when the money would dry up

And when the nineties violent crime and rising unemployment rates came by

That parking lot grew dim and thin of sinners and saints

Until the voices, unceasing, slowly faded to black

Until the weeds stormed the concrete from unattended cracks

It had to know, had to feel that glory never coming back

Like I could feel it when the passion left, the last of what I had

It had to know like I knew

And I can't find it still

Might not ever

Ten years now standing vacant

Ten years on empty, maybe more

Once held the faith of hundreds

Soon one more cell phone store

For years they gathered here

Inside the building sound and true

To sing their praises to a God that gave them hope

To carry on, to carry through

So, I've been thinking about that

Sometimes go slow when I drive by

How a home of stone and a house so holy

Grows so empty over time

What gave those people purpose

Past death approaching constantly

Now left to crumble slowly

Now left to wither with the weeds

Now left to ice and vandals

The advent candles long since gone

The old foundation shifting hard

The concrete overgrown, but

That stained-glass window sits untouched amongst the brickwork worn

A symbol of the beauty only perfect at that moment we were born

And just the other day I swear I saw a man there

Pulling weeds out of the concrete, sweeping up and patching cracks

I saw him lift a rag to wash the years of filth from off those windows

Made me wonder if there's anyone like that for you and me and

Anybody else who broke and lost hope