Birthed in a shadow only true eye can see
Born with its twin; memory
Rolling on, rolling down
The queerest thing followed in its wake
Makes me feel like dying, stark naked
Rolling down, rolling down

And you don't know night
You don't know day
You don't know why you feel this way
And I do somehow, I do somehow
See them folk on the hill, they ain't no friend of mine
Don't knock on my door, they ain't got no time
Ain't they proud, ain't they proud?

But I swear that I heard this story one time
About visions and greatness born to every child
Rolling down, tears are rolling down
Rolling down this state of mind

(Ooh, ooh-mm
Mmm-hmmm
Hmmm-hmm)

All things being equal, at least in degrees
Different, different pedigrees
They're burning down the streets
Take the burden to the streets
'Cos now that she's gone do you think we're all free
Slipping the chains of history?

His tears are rolling down, they're still rolling down, mm-hmm
Oh, it's pure and it's perfect and you know what they say?
The good book maketh good men
Then they go to their graves
Don't fear the fight
Don't you fear the fight

But the loneliness
Oh, the loneliness
Yeah, the loneliness
Is the longest memory

It's the longest memory