One Of The Enemy Lyrics - Romanovsky And Phillips

(This song was suggested to me by a high school teacher who said 

that being unable to defend homosexuality makes him feel like he 

is "one of the oppressors" in the eyes of his gay and lesbian 

students. the enemy is everyone, gay or straight, who passively 

supports oppression by their silence.) 

Every day I go to work 

I'm there to teach integrity 

But how can I teach anything 

With a closet door in front of me 

'Cause when I look out at the faces 

One or two see through the lies 

And when I look right back at them 

I see the pain of my own youth in their eyes 

And it breaks my heart 

And it makes me feel ashamed to wear this mask 

Each day from 8 to 3 

I can't reach out 

To the ones who need a friend 

So I must pretend to be 

One of the enemy 

Every year a hundred faces 

Staring blindly up at me 

How I want to tell the truth 

Instead of teaching history 

But for job security 

I don't dare say a word 

And so my good intentions fade 

And my thoughts of love are left unheard 

And it hurts my pride 

And I hate to have to hide myself away 

Each day from 8 to 3 

I can't reach out 

To the ones who need a friend 

So I must pretend to be 

One of the enemy 

To the boys who leave the girls behind 

To the girls with more than boyfriends 

On their minds 

I can't reach out 

To the ones who need a friend 

So I must pretend to be 

I must pretend 

Maybe someday I'll find a way 

(Some day soon I'll find a way) 

To comfort them (to calm their fears) 

And let them know that things will change 

If they can make it through these years