Vocals by Carolyn Percy. Piano and produced by Randall Michael Tobin, Theta Sound Studio, Los Angeles, CA
Originally written as a poem. I composed the music years later.
I stood upon the very ground
That he marched towards freedoms quest
And felt the energy that passion brings
As my heart pounded in my chest
For it was on this simple city street
That the eyes of history began
To view the struggle of injustice
And the ignorance of man
But the sound of change falls deaf
On the ears of those who feel
That the power of persecution
Is in the cards of those who deal
"Will you be coming home tonight, Dear Martin?"
Is what I’m sure he heard
As he walked through that door of fate
To peacefully spread the word
To the hungry and downtrodden
Who had inherited this fate
And who cry in the wilderness
Of their realm just outside the gate
The more his message eloquently
Broke down the walls of shame
The more the people’s hearts would race
At the mention of his name
For it was clear, so clear to see
That from the mountain he had been
To view the end of ignorance
And see the rise of dignity begin
"Will you be coming home tonight, Dear Martin?"
I imagined a little girl cry
As she stood and watched the fires
illuminate the southern sky
But resistance forms resolve
To anointed men of faith
Who weigh the needs of the many
On their quest towards freedom’s gate
In resolute tones his voice rang out
And struck a mighty chord
And broke the bonds of history
That could no longer be ignored
Yet it seemed obvious, he knew the ending
When he answered the call
That his presence would be absent
At the crumbling of the wall
"Will you be coming home tonight, Dear Martin?"
I heard in the Heavens as I knelt
To pay tribute to your strength
And give my thanks heartfelt