One of my lyrics (too bad you can't hear the tune -- it is in C and features an Ab->Bb->C chord pattern in the chorus):

Ain't It a Shame?

Verse
They caught a shoplifter at the Redi-Mart last night;
Twenty bucks in merchandise hidden in his socks.
Took him to County Jail, he went without a fight,
Now they've got him safe behind their locks.

Chorus

Ain't it a shame? A cryin' shame!
Whatever else you call it, it's a shame.

Verse
He was a working man before he got locked up;
The stuff they caught him stealing, he needed for his kids.
Now he's in County Jail, and drinks a bitter cup
Looking at a life gone down the skids.

Chorus

Verse
The mayor called reporters in to rail about the crime
We find all around us in these modern days for sure --
Need a new County Jail for these crooks to do their time,
Taxes going up to keep us pure.

Chorus


Bridge:
So the mayor and the council pass a big appropriation,
Issue bonds and contracts to some local corporations,
Condemn the land they need and start to tear old houses down
To build this fancy sin-bin for the town.


Verse
They're breaking ground today, in ceremony grand --
Twenty million dollar deal, but one man, all alone
(Just out of County Jail), knows that the speaker stand
Marks the spot that used to be his home.

Chorus

Copyright ©1999, Bob Clayton. All rights reserved.