Verse:
   D      A       D        A
I knew a man who lived in fear

        D           G              D       A
It was huge, it was angry, it was drawing near

    D       A       D       A
Behind his house a secret place

         D            G               A     D
Was the shadow of the demon he could never face.

Bridge:
    Em      A       Em         A
He built a wall of steel and flame

     Em        G       A       D
And men with guns to keep it tame

       D       A        D       A
Then standing back he made it plain

           D              G          A     D
That the nightmare would never ever rise again

D7       G            D            A      D
But the fear and the fire and the guns remain.

Chorus:
G             D          G            D
   It doesn't matter now,   it's over anyhow

G               D               A    D      D7
   He tells the world that it's sleeping

G             D                G              D
   But as the night came round,   I heard its lonely sound

G            D               A      D     D7
   It wasn't roaring, it was    weeping

G              D             A      D
   It wasn't roaring, it was    weeping.

Verse:
And then one day the neighbours came
They were curious to know about the smoke and flame
They stood around outside the wall
But of course there was nothing to be heard at all

Bridge:
"My friends," he said, "We've reached our goal
The threat is under firm control
As long as peace and order reign
I'll be damned if I can see a reason to explain
Why the fear and the fire and the guns remain."

Chorus (repeat above)

The chords for the ad lib break before the final ending are:

G    D    A    D