Stand Up

First they came for the Communists
Then they came for the Jews
But I wasn’t a Communist
And I wasn’t a Jew

C Dm Em G / C Dm G - ://

So I didn’t stand up
And I didn’t ask why
By the time they came for me
There was no one left to ask why

F G C Em / F G C C7 / F G CG Am / Dm F G -

Then they came for the unionists
And they came for the priests
But I wasn’t a unionist
And I wasn’t a priest...

Then they came for the pacifists
And they came for the gays
But I wasn’t a pacifist
And I wasn’t a gay...

Still they came for the outcast And the poor and refugees
Though I am not an outcast
And I’m not a refugee

(final 2 choruses)
Now I’m gonna stand up
And I’m gonna ask why
And if sometime they come for me
I hope there’s be someone standing by my side

Yes we’re gonna stand up
And we’re gonna ask why
And if sometime they come for us
There’ll be lots of people standing side by side
(tag) A whole lot [or world] of people standing side by side

F G C Em / F G C C7 / F G CG Am / Dm F G - / F G C -

Derived from the writing of Martin Niemoller.

You can download a leadsheet to this song below (thank you, Mike!)

It's also one of 21 of Mike's songs in his songbook Stand Up: https://www.beatinpathpublications.com/MS/MSSU.html