Verse:
   D5      A5       D5        A5
I knew a man who lived in fear

        D5           G5              D5       A5
It was huge, it was angry, it was drawing near

    D5       A5       D5       A5
Behind his house a secret place

         D5            G5               A5     D5
Was the shadow of the demon he could never face.

Bridge:
    E5      A5       E5         A5
He built a wall of steel and flame

     E5        G5       A5       D5
And men with guns to keep it tame

       D5       A5        D5       A5
Then standing back he made it plain

           D5              G5          A5     D5
That the nightmare would never ever rise again

D5       G5            D5            A5      D5
But the fear and the fire and the guns remain.

Chorus:
G5             D5          G5            D5
   It doesn't matter now,   it's over anyhow

G5               D5               A5    D5      D5
   He tells the world that it's sleeping

G5             D5                G5              D5
   But as the night came round,   I heard its lonely sound

G5            D5               A5      D5     D5
   It wasn't roaring, it was    weeping

G5              D5             A5      D5
   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:

G5    D5    A5    D5