Song Lyrics

I was in the crowd
The day that Jesus died
And as He hung upon the cross
His mother cried

I saw the crown of thorns He wore
The stripes upon His back
The water and the blood ran out
And then the sky turned black

My mind was filled with anger
My heart was filled with shame
This man brought only healing
Who could bring Him pain

Why does it seem the strong
Always victimize the weak?
And suddenly I found myself
Standing to my feet

And I cried, "Who nailed Him there?
This Child of peace and mercy
Who nailed Him there?
Come and face me like a man
Who nailed Him there?"

And the crowd began to mock me
I cried, "Oh my God, I do not understand"
Then I turned and saw the hammer
In my hand

I am just a Roman soldier
An ordinary man
I love my wife and children
I do the best I can

How could I have killed Him?
It must be someone else
There's got to be an answer
I just can't blame myself

And I cried, "Who nailed Him there?
This Child of peace and mercy
Who nailed Him there?
Come and face me like a man
Who nailed Him there?"

And the crowd began to mock me
I cried, "Oh my God, I do not understand"
Then I turned and saw the hammer
In my hand

I nailed Him there
The child of peace and mercy
I nailed Him there
I am the guilty man

I nailed Him there
With my sins and my transgressions
I cried, "Oh my God, now I understand
When I turned and saw the hammer in my hand"

Ray Boltz, Steve Millikan

The duration of The Hammer [From the Altar] is 4:21 minutes and seconds.