The Ballad Of Billie Sol Lyrics - Phil Ochs

Billie Sol was a man from the giant Texas land 

He put the Chamber of Commerce on a limb 

They voted him the best and the government did no less 

Until the I.O.U.'s of Texas fell on him 

Stand tall, Billie Sol, we don't know you at all 

We've taken down your pictures from the wall 

Well, we don't want to handle an agriculture scandal 

We have got to face elections in the fall 

I remember when Bill had influential friends 

He celebrated Christmas every day 

He filled Texas banks with his fertilizer tanks 

Influential friends don't die they only fade away 

Stand tall, Billie Sol, we don't know you at all 

We've taken down your pictures from the wall 

Well, we don't want to handle an agriculture scandal 

We have got to face elections in the fall 

The democrats deny and Orville Freeman sighs 

He said, "Everyone around was fair and square" 

But He was no more convincing than Ezra Taft Benson 

As resignations cropped up everywhere 

Stand tall, Billie Sol, we don't know you at all 

We've taken down your pictures from the wall 

Well, we don't want to handle an agriculture scandal 

We have got to face elections in the fall 

And now I'd like to say that crime sure doesn't pay 

But if you want to make some money on the sly 

Well you can always rent the U.S. Government 

It's the best one that money can buy 

Stand tall, Billie Sol, we don't know you at all 

We've take down your pictures from the wall 

Well, we don't want to handle and agriculture scandal 

We have got to face elections in the fall