Prisoner 562

Half a thousand, half a hundred
Six times two, pick up your pen
Child, my child, count it up now
That's the number that I mean

It's a number, just a number
Write it down, child, while you can
Understand it and remember
That's the number they gave a man

It's a number, just a number
One of hundreds, a sign of shame
Each man's jacket had a number
Men had numbers, none had names

Hitler's system took their freedom
Took them prisoner one by one
For the courage of their convictions
They were tortured, gassed and burned

They took Communist, they took pacifist
They took social democrat
Jew and Christian all were prisoner
In the concentration camp

To the camp of Esterwegen
Listen, child and understand
They took Carl von Ossietzky
They broke his body, not his mind

In Berlin upon the fourth of May
Nineteen-hundred and thirty-eight
The Gestapo with its treatment
Signed his death certificate

Five-six-two, his prison number
Listen, child, I beg you please
Keep in mind, always remember
He got the Nobel Prize for Peace

In the struggle against injustice
He fought hard and he fought long
Child, remember Ossietzky
Peace won't come by words alone

First heard this sung by Dick Gaughan - it has stayed with me since.