Ballad of Birmingham " is a poem by Dudley Randall , that he published as a broadside in 1965 . It was written in response to the 1963 bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham , Alabama . The poem was set to music by folk singer Jerry Moore in 1967 after he read it in a newspaper , and features on his album '' Life is a Constant Journey Home ''
bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
The Ballad of Birmingham