Billy The Bum Lyrics - Diamonds In The Rough - John Prine

Billy, the bum lived by the thumb 

And sang of the hobo's delight 

He'd prove he could run 

Twice as fast as the sun 

By losing his shadow at night 

Now he loved every girl 

In this curly headed world 

But no one will know it seems 

For two twisted legs and a childhood disease 

Left Billy just a bum in his dreams 

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And he was just a gentle boy 

A real florescent light 

Cried pennies on Sunday morning 

Laughs nickels on Saturday night 

And your bullets, they can't harm him 

Nor your knives tear him apart 

Humiliation killed him 

God bless his little heart 

Now he lived all alone in a run down home 

Near the side of the old railroad track 

Where the trains used to run 

Carryin' freight by the ton 

Blow the whistle as Billy'd wave back 

But the children around Billy's home town 

Seemed to have nothin' better to do 

Then run around his house 

With their tongues from their mouth 

Make fun of that crippled old fool 

Photos 

And he was just a gentle boy 

A real florescent light 

Cried pennies on Sunday morning 

Laughs nickels on Saturday night 

And your bullets, they can't harm him 

Nor your knives tear him apart 

Humiliation killed him 

God bless his little heart 

Now some folks they wait and some folks they pray 

For Jesus to rise up again 

But none of these folks in their holy cloaks 

Ever took Billy on as a friend 

For pity's a crime 

And it ain't worth a dime 

To a person who's really in need 

Just treat 'em the same 

As you would your own name 

Next time that your heart starts to bleed 

And he was just a gentle boy 

A real florescent light 

Cried pennies on Sunday morning 

Laughs nickels on Saturday night 

And your bullets, they can't harm him 

Nor your knives tear him apart 

Humiliation killed him 

God bless his little heart