Lord I have a heavy burden of all I've seen and know It's more than I can handle But your word is burning like a fire shut up in my bones and I can't let it go And when I'm weary and overwrought with so many battles left unfought I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars And when the Saints go marching in I want to be one of them Lord it's all that I can't carry and cannot leave behind It all can overwhelm me But when I think of all who've gone before and lived a faithful life Their courage compels me And when I'm weary and overwrought with so many battles left unfought I think of Paul and Silas in the prison yard I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharaoh's court I hear his call for freedom for the people of the Lord
And when the Saints go marching in I want to be one of them And when the Saints go marching in I want to be one of them I see the long quiet walk along the Underground Railroad I see the slave awakening to the value of her soul I see the young missionary and the angry spear I see his family returning with no trace of fear I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights I see the sisters standing by the dying man's side I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor I see the man with a pa**ion come kicking down that door I see the man of sorrow and his long troubled road I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load And when the Saints go marching in I want to be one of them And when the Saints go marching in I want to be one of them I want to be one of them I want to be one of them I want to be one of them