i have but one lamp by which my feet are guided and that is the lamp of experience i know of no way of judging of the future but by the past and judging by the past i wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the british ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves there is no longer any room for hope if we wish to be free we must fight i repeat it sir we must fight set your streets on fire burn your palace down topple your empire we want freedom now fathers of this nation were not fearful men give me liberty or give me death they cried as they set your streets on fire burn your palace down topple your empire we want freedom now they were not servants they were not slaves but they were not equal and that was enough for them to set your streets on fire burn your palace down topple your empire we want freedom now the powers that be called them rebels violent agitators terrorists but they called themselves revolutionaries as they set your streets on fire burn your palace down topple your empire we want freedom now children of these patriots honor them as heroes but disdain the courage of another people when we set your streets on fire burn your palace down topple your empire we want freedom now they call us violent agitators they say you re not servants you re not slaves aren t you free enough and our answer set your streets on fire burn your palace down topple your empire we want freedom now and we ll press on for ages but do not mistake endurance for patience freedom cannot wait and so we set your streets on fire burn your palace down topple your empire we want freedom now why are you surprised did you expect us to be better men than you we are not we are the same that s why we set your streets on fire burn your palace down topple your empire we want freedom now shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot it is in vain sir to extenuate the matter gentlemen may cry peace peace but there is no peace the war is actually begun our brethren are already in the field why stand we here idle is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery forbid it almighty god i know not what course others may take but as for me give me liberty or give me death oh its murder and its foul yes its ugly and its vile but this town the only home ive ever known born a child of the exile just might be here for a while so i seek the peace the peace of babylon yeah i seek the peace the peace of babylon old preacher always talkin bout some place i never seen promised land with milky streams and honey gold old preacher always talkin how it was and gonna be but right now im only tryin to make the most said right now i m only tryin to make the most cause its murder and its foul yes its ugly and its vile but this town the only home ive ever known born a child of the exile just might be here for a while so i seek the peace the peace of babylon yeah i seek the peace the peace of babylon the white lies of the rulers got us bleeding scarlet red and all the bluesy people feelin blue but if we burn the city ain t no place to lay our head so we gone try to make it beautiful yeah we gone try to make it beautiful oh beautiful for spacious skies for amber waves of grain for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plains oh babylon oh babylon good god have mercy on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea cause its murder and its foul yes its ugly and its vile but this town the only home ive ever known born a child of the exile just might be here for a while so i seek the peace the peace of babylon