Well I ain't the kind of man Who'd turn and run from a fight Got no money in my pockets All I carry these days is my old man's knife I ain't sweating for my wages I'm just fighting demons, raging in the dark Between memories and broken dreams I ain't sure there's a real good place to start Well I'm pretty good at playing roles I've been acting like I'm something that I'm not for a while I've been running from my nature Trying to change it But turns out there's plenty parts of me That ain't worth saving I'm a no good son of a Preacher man With a smoking habit In a one piece band Not a clue in the world what I'm doing Or where I'm bound And I'm running awful low on Give a damn's And I'm trying to learn to accept who I am I ain't asking for approval anymore Papa, I'm grown now I'm gonna make you proud I'm gonna make you proud Well I had a dream the other night that I was standing in a stage In the shadows of the crowd I swear to God I saw your face You came to me with open arms And told me you were proud of who I was But I woke up alone again And I can't face the man that I've become Still I'm pretty good at playing roles I've been acting like I'm something That I'm not for a while I've been running from my nature Trying to change it But turns out there's plenty parts of me Ain't worth saving I'm a no good son of a Preacher man With a smoking habit In a one piece band Not a clue in the world what I'm doing Or where I'm bound And I'm running awful low on Give a damn's And I'm trying to learn to accept who I am I ain't asking for approval anymore Papa, I'm grown now I'm gonna make you proud I'm gonna make you proud

It's like a magic I've got to have it Whatever lies out of reach of me And to despise it Just magnifies it Can't obliterate the need You're bad news disguised Dressed and painted with lies But I just can't see (But I just can't see) When truth is concealed How the danger appeals But my conscience sees I heard it from the preacher man He said leave that boy alone He's no good for you I heard it from the preacher man He said Heaven must have sent you But the Devil's gonna get you He's gonna do it for you You're like a black cat Who always knows that Its life is a mystery You mesmerize me And then you hypnotize me 'Til obsession devours me Your silky words soothe me As they move me To ecstasy (To ecstasy) And just as I'm falling I hear a voice calling I don't believe I heard it from the preacher man He said leave that boy alone He's no good for you I heard it from the preacher man He said Heaven must have sent you But the Devil's gonna get you He's gonna do it for you You're bad news disguised Dressed and painted with lies But I just can't see When truth is concealed How the danger appeals But my conscience sees I heard it from the preacher man He said leave that boy alone He's no good for you I heard it from the preacher man He said Heaven must have sent you But the Devil's gonna get you I heard it from the preacher man He said leave that boy alone He's no good for you I heard it from the preacher man He said Heaven must have sent you But the Devil's gonna get you I heard it from the preacher man He said leave that boy alone He's no good for you I heard it from the preacher man He said Heaven must have sent you But the Devil's gonna get you He's gonna do it for you

Billy Ray was a preacher's son And when his daddy would visit he'd come along When they gathered around the parlour talkin' That's when Billy would take me walkin' Through the back yard we'd go walkin' Then he'd look into my eyes (ho) Lord knows to my surprise The only one who could ever reach me (Was the son of a preacher man) The only boy who could ever teach me (Was the son of a preacher man) Yes, he was (hallelujah) Yeah, he was (hallelujah) Oh, he was (oh hallelujah) Bein' good isn't always easy No matter how hard I try When he started sweet-talkin' to me He'd kiss and tell me "everything is all right" (sock it to me) Baby, baby everything is all right (oh sock it to me) Can I sneak away again tonight now? The only one who could ever reach me (Was the son of a preacher man) I tell you that the only boy who could ever teach me (Was the son of a preacher man) Yes, he was (hallelujah) Yeah, he was (hallelujah) Oh, he was (ha) Hm, mhmm How well I remember The look that was in his eyes Stealin' kisses from me on the sly Takin' time to make time Tellin' me that he's all of mine now Learnin' from each other's knowin' Lookin' to see how much we've growin' and The only boy who could ever reach me (Was the son of a preacher man) I tell you that the only boy who could ever teach me (Was the son of a preacher man) Ohoh, yes he was (Hallelujah) Yeah, he was (hallelujah) Oh, he was (oh hallelujah) Halleluiah (Son of a preacher boy, halleluiah) Hallelujah for the son, now yeah (Son of a preacher boy, halleluiah) Halleluiah, yeah (Son of a preacher boy, halleluiah) For the son, halle- hallelujah for the son, now (Son of a preacher boy) He was the only boy, yes he is, who could ever reach me (Son of a preacher boy) He's the only boy who could ever teach me (Son of a preacher boy)

Friends, what are you supposed to do? Should you build me up or break me down? Friends, what are you there for? If you're in my need, you're never around Friends, what are your duties? Does it mean loyalty? Tell me the truth even when it hurts No matter what it may be 'Cause I got my problems And you know that I got them But you still sayin' nothin' Though you know I'm hurtin' Half way smiling means something's hiding And you're keeping the solution Friends don't mean a thing If when I'm down you keep me down Friends don't mean a thing If I can't cry on your shoulder Ever so often I get disappointed Now I got nothing else to prove Y'all have been acting upon my weakness All in the name of love Now I keep a close eye on all those who deny Those who are leaving alive, don't think you've won In your head I'm from the rebel Think I'll get miserable, you made me struggle Didn't know I'm able to check my timetable And no good people help me some fund Friends don't mean a thing If when I'm down you keep me down Friends don't mean a thing If I can't cry on your shoulder Friends don't mean a thing If when I'm down you keep me down Friends don't mean a thing If I can't cry on your shoulder Friend, do you know what's a secret? Are you sure you know how to keep it? Based on what I heard yesterday You surely gave me away Now it's been said that my bills aren't paid I'm running low on bread, it's going to my head Check the flow as the story goes What do you know? I remember when I had this master plan And you said we could've done Was you weren't the one? Can't explain, but in the end they glister you again Friends don't mean a thing If when I'm down you keep me down Friends don't mean a thing If I can't cry on your shoulder Friends don't mean a thing If when I'm down you keep me down Friends don't mean a thing If I can't cry on your shoulder Friends don't mean a thing If when I'm down you keep me down Friends don't mean a thing If I can't cry on your shoulder Friends don't mean a thing If when I'm down you keep me down Friends don't mean a thing If I can't cry on your shoulder Friends don't mean a thing If when I'm down you keep me down Friends don't mean a thing If I can't cry on your shoulder

Yeah It's dog eat dog world out there Yeah Gotta be strong to survive, yeah Strong, strong, strong, yeah, oh, yeah I cry freedom For the innocent that's in captivity I cry freedom Yeah, yeah I cry freedom My people, you're robbed of your liberty I say freedom Yeah, yeah For the family that's gone To a distant foreign land To make good for themselves And the ones that are left back home Letters once in a while Can bring a little smile My letters can have you And sure can explain heeds that to the pain I say freedom For the colors that's discriminated upon I cry freedom Yeah, yeah, yeah I cry freedom Woman have what you take and as much as you can Cry freedom, yeah, yeah For the ordinary men Whether's little did he plan We give no time of day to, it is a miracle how we get through Goes to bed early, tryna dream of a heaven bird Hoping it's gonna play Can't wait for the day he can truly say Today is my day I cry freedom For all the young minds that they led astray I cry freedom Yeah, yeah, oh, God I cry freedom Bullies everywhere, today's the day I cry freedom Yeah, yeah, yeah For your book of rules that says Getting rich is not my kind of business I got things for you, my friend I'm gonna fight it right to the end I toil and toil even when my back hurts I still feel the dream Though sometimes I get weak Still mine stepped up And to fortify I cry freedom For all the principles my ancestors died for I cry freedom, yes Yeah, yeah, oh I cry freedom For the little they give and take mine more I cry freedom Yeah, yeah I cry freedom For my little sisters, they turned to slaves I cry freedom, yes Yeah, yeah I cry freedom For those who reach out and never had, sleep good Freedom

Na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na Whoa, na, mmh, na Oh, yesterday I walked away You left my way and now You left me cryin' Girl, you left me cryin' Gotta find my way through the downtown crowd Hopin' cars and buses will help To drown this feelin' Such a lonely feelin' I'll have to do the best that I can To stay away from the sound When I roll over in bed to touch, and you're not there That's when it hurts the most You left me cryin' Girl, you left me cryin' You left me cryin' Girl, you left me cryin' I told myself I was so strong Can't let my friends know that You left me cryin' Girl, you left me cryin' What will I do when they all ask "Where are you and how come we're not sparrin' At the big dance jammin'?" I'm gonna tell them, "You're gone on vacation Or that your mama ain't feelin' so well" Maybe I'll go a little bit overboard And say that, "You're now with the Lord" You left me cryin' Girl, you left me cryin' You left me cryin' You left me cryin' Now wherever you are my darlin' one Take the strain off of me Remember it's the same good old Beres And me and you nah live so Don't leave me cryin' Don't leave me cryin' Don't leave me cryin', oh Na-na-na-na-na, hey Na-na-na, oh Oh, yesterday I walked away You left my way and now Today I'm cryin' Girl, you left me cryin' What will I do when friends all ask "Where are you and how come we're not sparrin' At the big dance jammin'?" I'm gonna tell them, "You're gone on vacation Or that your mama ain't feelin' so well" Maybe I'll go a little bit overboard And say that, "You're now with the Lord" 'Cause you left me cryin' Girl, you left me cryin', oh, na-na-na Cryin' You left me cryin' Oh, yesterday I walked away Now today don't wanna be gray I'm cryin', girl, you left me cryin' Let's just take all the past and get it together, oh girl Reminisce on all those lovely days, yes, yes Don't let me cry, girl