One day a friend took me aside and said, "I have to leave you
For buying something from a friend, they say I've done wrong
For protecting the name of a man, they say I'll have to leave you
So now I'm bidding you farewell for much too long"

And here's a song to sing for every man inside
If he can hear you sing, it's an open door
There's not a rich man there who couldn't pay his way
And buy the freedom that's a high price for the poor

Kids in Texas smoking grass, ten year [bad word] to pass
"Misdemeanor in Ann Arbor", ask the judges,"Why?"

One day a friend said to her kids, "I'm gonna have to leave you
For selling something to the man I guess I did wrong
And although I did the best I could I'm gonna have to leave you
So now I'm kissing you farewell for much too long"

And here's a song to sing for every man inside
If he can hear you sing, it's an open door
There's not a rich man there who couldn't pay his way
And buy the freedom that's a high price for the poor