EUGENE PRATT
Written by John Michael Talbot and Terry Nolan Talbot
As recorded by the band Mason Proffit on their album "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" (1972)

When I was just a young boy, on the Oklahoma plains
I tried to keep my shoes shined, tried to keep a clean name
Way over town lived a boy named Eugene Pratt
And we weren't allowed to talk to him, say hi and none of that (no, no)

I went off to school; Eugene sat right in front of my desk
All the kids, they made fun of him, cause Gene was such a mess (Lord)
But oh, he worked hard, and he took home a mess of good grades
And when it came time for him to go to big school, Eugene went far away

'Cause that's the way it was
And that's the way it is
And that's the way it was
And that's the way it is

I went off to college, got myself a job in the campus store
In the meantime, Gene spent his time writin' 'bout the world and war
I didn't understand all the things he was talkin' about
So my friends and me from that old fraternity, we just got drunk and blocked it all out (Yes we did)

Then we graduated, lost our deferments, our excuse
And the man said, "come here, boys; gonna put your education to a good use"
Went down to the draft board, and there was Eugene lookin' alive and well
Yeah, but when it came time for to put his name on the line, he told them all to go to hell (Yes he did)

Eugene was by far the smartest, the most concerned with humanity
But it was him they took far away and stuck in a penitentiary, lordy
I can't help but wonder if we'd all stand up like him
Then there'd be no one to carry those damn guns for somethin' nobody believes in

But that ain't the way it was (no)
That ain't the way it is (ain't it too bad?)
That ain't the way it was (no)
That ain't the way it is
That ain't the way it was
That ain't the way it is
That ain't the way it was
That ain't the way it is

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