G                                      C            G
The first plane hit the other tower, right after I came in
                                   D
It left a fiery, gaping hole where offices had been
   C                    G             C                  G
We stood and watched in horror, as we saw the first ones fall
     C                    G                               A7      D
Then someone yelled, "Get out, get out, they're trying to kill us all"

[Verse 2]
  G                                     C                     G
I grabbed the pictures from my desk and joined the flight for life
                                         D
With every step I called the names of my children and my wife
    C                  G               C                G
And then we heard them coming up, from several floors below
  C            G                   A7            D
A crowd of firefighters with their heavy gear in tow

     [Chorus]
         C            G                 C              G
     Now every time I try to sleep, I'm haunted by the sound
                                              D               G   D
     Of firemen pounding up the stairs, while we were running down

[Verse 3]
    G                                    C                G
And when we met them on the stairs, they said we were too slow
                                            D
"Get out, get out", they yelled at us, "The whole thing's gonna go"
     C              G                   C                 G
They didn't have to tell us twice, we'd seen the world on fire
   C               G                                A7       D
We kept on running down the stairs, while they kept climbing higher

     [Chorus]
         C            G                 C              G
     Now every time I try to sleep, I'm haunted by the sound
                                              D               G   D
     Of firemen pounding up the stairs, while we were running down

[Verse 4]
      G                                 C                   G
Thank God, we made it to the street, we ran through ash and smoke
                                  D
I didn't know which way to run, I thought that I would choke
  C               G                 C            G
A fireman took me by the arm and he pointed me uptown
      C                    G                          A7      D
And, "Christ", I heard him whisper, as the tower came roaring down

[Verse 5]
   G                        C           G
So now I go to funerals for men I never knew
                                       D
The pipers play 'Amazing Grace' as the coffins come in view
     C                 G                C                  G
They must have seen it coming when they turned to face the fire
     C               G                         A7       D
They sent us down to safety, then they kept on climbing higher

     [Chorus]
         C            G                 C              G
     Now every time I try to sleep, I'm haunted by the sound
                                              D               G
     Of firemen pounding up the stairs, while we were running down
                                              D               G
     Of firemen pounding up the stairs, while we were running down