Countryside was cold and still And there were three crosses on the hill And each one wore a burning hood To hide its rotten core of wood And I say "father, father, I hear an iron sound" Hoof beats on the frozen ground And downhill the riders came Lord it was a cryin' shame To see the blood upon their whips and to hear the snarlin' from their lips And I cried "mother, mother, I feel a stabbing pain" Blood runs down like summers rain And each one wore a mask of white To hide his cruel face from sight And each one sucked a hungry breath Out of the empty lungs of death And I say sister, sister, I need you to take my hand It's always lonely when it's time to stand He who rides with the klan Is a devil and not a man For underneath his white disguise I have looked into his eyes And I say brother, brother, stand by me It's not so easy to be free Father, mother, sister, brother, stand by me It's not so easy to be free It's not so easy to be free It's not so easy to be free And nobody ever said it would be easy And nobody ever said it would be easy It's not so easy to be free It's not so easy to be free It's not so easy, no it's not so easy