I didn't even know the man[C]
I didn't know the [Dm]man himself
Even though his music [G]filled my life
As it has so many o[C]thers
I knew that he had died that [C]week
After fighting death a [Dm]year or more
But I had had a [G]rule before
That funerals were a waste of flo[C]wers
But something said I [Am]had to go
To be a witness to his [Em]gift of love
A man who never once gave [F]up on life
Until death [Dm]took him in its [G]tracks
The people stood around the [C]church
Ten thousand people there they [Dm]say or more
Black and white and [G]rich and poor
Together they were there to say fare[C]well
In New York City it had rained that [C]day
The streets were silver and the [Dm]sky was gray
In the church the music [G]sailed and sang
And seemed to fill the air with shining [C]sun
The man was a [Am]hero
He played the music [Em]of our souls
He knew that we all [F]have in us
A place where [Dm]beauty always [G]grows
Outside in the streets [C]again
The people wandered through the [Dm]falling rain
They waved their hands and [G]dried their tears
And turned to go about their lives a[C]gain
But none of us will be the [C]same
If we hear the things his [Dm]music says
That loving is the [G]gift of life
And making music was his way of [C]love
The man was a [Am]hero
He sang the music [Em]of our souls
He knew that we all [F]have in us
A place where [Dm]beauty always [G]grows
Always g[C]rows
I didn't know the [Dm]man himself
Even though his music [G]filled my life
As it has so many o[C]thers
I knew that he had died that [C]week
After fighting death a [Dm]year or more
But I had had a [G]rule before
That funerals were a waste of flo[C]wers
But something said I [Am]had to go
To be a witness to his [Em]gift of love
A man who never once gave [F]up on life
Until death [Dm]took him in its [G]tracks
The people stood around the [C]church
Ten thousand people there they [Dm]say or more
Black and white and [G]rich and poor
Together they were there to say fare[C]well
In New York City it had rained that [C]day
The streets were silver and the [Dm]sky was gray
In the church the music [G]sailed and sang
And seemed to fill the air with shining [C]sun
The man was a [Am]hero
He played the music [Em]of our souls
He knew that we all [F]have in us
A place where [Dm]beauty always [G]grows
Outside in the streets [C]again
The people wandered through the [Dm]falling rain
They waved their hands and [G]dried their tears
And turned to go about their lives a[C]gain
But none of us will be the [C]same
If we hear the things his [Dm]music says
That loving is the [G]gift of life
And making music was his way of [C]love
The man was a [Am]hero
He sang the music [Em]of our souls
He knew that we all [F]have in us
A place where [Dm]beauty always [G]grows
Always g[C]rows
