Hamilton E. Holmes

Lyrics

[Intro — instrumental only, no vocals]
[a key turns in a lock and a heavy door swings open; the beat builds]
[Instrumental build — still no singing, let the groove settle in]
[Instrumental — the lock and the strings carry it alone]

[Verse 1 — vocals enter at last]
Far end of the line on the westside ground,
named for the man who turned the door around;
turn the key, hear the deadbolt give,
H.E. Holmes, where the brave ones live.

[Chorus]
Holmes, Holmes, key and door,
the man who opened what was closed before;
turn it, turn it, let the whole thing swing,
the far-west end where the freedom rings.

[Verse 2]
First through the gate that they tried to bar,
a quiet courage that opened it ajar;
every lock he turned stayed turned for good,
H.E. Holmes, the western neighborhood.

[Chorus]
Holmes, Holmes, key and door,
the man who opened what was closed before;
turn it, turn it, let the whole thing swing,
the far-west end where the freedom rings.

[Outro — vocals stop here]
[Instrumental — the door rides out alone, no more singing]
[Long instrumental outro — the groove fades slowly all the way down to silence]