the irony of violence in a place of worship
During the time of the Birmingham bombing there were many protests in the streets of Birmingham. In the song, the mother does not want her daughter in the streets near the protests for fear of the harm that may come to her because of the violence. It is expected that the church would be a safe place from harm. Traditionally churches have been seen as places of sanctuary where no one can be harmed. However, the church was bombed.
