“I’ll never be able to look at a fireman or woman again without knowing that he or she would lay down their lives for me without ever knowing my name. We can never thank them enough.” –Tom Paxton

‘The Bravest (9/11 Song)’
(Written by Tom Paxton/Performed by Mickey MacConnell)

The first plane hit the other tower, right after I came in
It left a fiery, gaping hole where offices had been
We stood and watched in horror, as we saw the first ones fall
Then someone yelled, “Get out, get out, they’re trying to kill us all”

I grabbed the pictures from my desk and joined the flight for life
With every step I called the names of my children and my wife
And then we heard them coming up, from several floors below
A crowd of firefighters with their heavy gear in tow

Now every time I try to sleep, I’m haunted by the sound
Of firemen pounding up the stairs, while we were running down

And when we met them on the stairs, they said we were too slow
“Get out, get out”, they yelled at us, “The whole thing’s gonna go”
They didn’t have to tell us twice, we’d seen the world on fire
We kept on running down the stairs, while they kept climbing higher

Now every time I try to sleep, I’m haunted by the sound
Of firemen pounding up the stairs, while we were running down

Thank God, we made it to the street, we ran through ash and smoke
I didn’t know which way to run, I thought that I would choke
A fireman took me by the arm and he pointed me uptown
And, “Christ”, I heard him whisper, as the tower came roaring down

So now I go to funerals for men I never knew
The pipers play ‘Amazing Grace’ as the coffins come in view
They must have seen it coming when they turned to face the fire
They sent us down to safety, then they kept on climbing higher

Now every time I try to sleep, I’m haunted by the sound
Of firemen pounding up the stairs, while we were running down
Of firemen pounding up the stairs, while we were running down