Heart Of A City

Janis Ian

There stood the observation deck
where none had stood before
We stared down at the smoking ground
and one man took the floor
He said "you know, I'm just five blocks from home
"I was in it from the start
"And they might have struck the flesh and bone
"but they did not strike the heart"

'cause the heart of a city is the soul of a man
and it runs like a river through the heart of the land
You can tear down a building. You can tear down a park
You can strike at a symbol, but you can't touch the heart

There were ashes on the windowsills
and ashes on the leaves
The were ashes on the tongues
of everybody who still breathed
and flames so high they blocked the sky
'til only cinders flew
but the Phoenix rises from the ash
and I'll be rising, too
The Phoenix rises from the ash
and I'll be rising, too

'cause the heart of a city is the soul of a man
and it runs like a river through the heart of the land
You can tear down a building. You can tear down a park
You can strike at a symbol, but you can't touch the heart

I heard the lady's torch
across the harbor calling me
and a hundred thousand immigrants
who came here to be free
and I thought about the cowards
who were claiming victory
Well, if you see them on the street
you can tell 'em this for me

'cause the heart of a city is the soul of a man
and it runs like a river through the heart of the land
You can tear down a building. You can tear down a park
You can strike at a symbol, but you can't touch the heart

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