Standard (EADGBE)

When I was just a young boy, on the okalhoma plains

I tried to keep my shoes shined, tried to keep a clean name

Way over town, lived a boy named Eugene Pratt

 And we weren’t allowed to talk to him, say hi and none of that no no

I went off to school, Eugene sat right in front of my desk

The kids they made fun of him, cause Gene was such a mess Lord

 But oh, he worked hard, and he took home a mess of good grades

And when it came time for him to go to big school, Eugene went far away

 Cause that’s the way it was, and that’s the way it is

 And that’s the way it was, and that’s the way it is

I went off to college, got myself a job in the campus store

But in the meantime, Gene spent his time writin’ bout the world and war

I didn’t understand, all the things he was talkin about

 So my friends and me from that old fraternity, got drunk and blocked it all out (Yes we did)

And then we graduated, lost our deference, our excuse.

And the man said, come here boys, gonna put your education to a good use

Went down to the draft board, saw Eugene lookin’ alive and well

But when it came time to put his name on the line, he told them boys to go to hell (Yes he did)

Eugene was by far the smartest, the most concerned with humanity

But it was him they took, far away, and stuck in a penitentiary lordy

I can’t help but wonder, if we’d all stand up like him

Then there’d be no one to carry those damn guns for something nobody believes in

 But that ain’t the way it was, that ain’t the way it is

 That ain’t the way it was, that ain’t the way it is

 That ain’t the way it was, that ain’t the way it is

 That ain’t the way it was, that ain’t the way it is