When I was just a young boy on the Oklahoma 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, none of that
I went off to school, and Gene sat right in front of my desk
And all of the kids, they made fun of him, cause' Gene was such a mess
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 (Oh, Lordy!)
I went off to college, got myself a job at the camp store
In the meantime, Gene spent his time writing about the world and war
I didn't understand all of the things he was talkin' about
So my friends and me, from that old fraternity,
We just got drunk and blocked it all out (yes we did, lord)
Then we graduated, lost all of our deferments, our excuse
And the man said, come here boys,
I'm gonna put your education to a good use
Went down to the draft board,
And there was Eugene looking alive and well
Yeah, but when it came time to put his name on line,
He told them all to go to hell! (Yes he did, lord yes he did)
Eugene was by far the smartest, the most concerned with humanity
But it was him who they took far away, and stuck in a penitentiary
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 (he ain't too bad)
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
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