Under One Roof

Billy ran away from his home
To find a way to live in peace,
His momma didn’t give a damn about him,
And his poppa’s on the run from the police
When Billy hit the city,
The city hit Billy,
And no-one needs you when you’re down and out
Then one kind guy with the painted eyes
picked him up and bailed him out.
Under one roof
Sharing one room
Nobody cared about them
Under one roof
Sharing one room
Daring the world to part them.
Billy found it hard to find a job
To make some pay
All day looking round, getting let down
Always being turned away
And Johnny was the only one, who didn’t talk
down to Billy from above
And for the first time in his life
Billy found out what it felt like to be loved.
Under one roof
Sharing one love
Nobody cared about them
Under one roof
Sharing one love
Daring the world to part them
Somehow Billy’s poppa found out all about the style of Billy’s life
And it didn’t take long before he came round and he had a knife
He cut up Johnny, stole all his money and called him all the names that he
could find
Said he’d wait for Billy at the factory tomorrow
And show them what they do to Billy’s kind
Under one roof
Sharing one love
Now the whole world knew about them
Under one roof
Sharing one love
Daring the world to part them
Johnny, said Billy, we can run away from the world no more
I’m gonna face my daddy, gonna show the world who I’m living for
And if I lose my job, if I lose my life
You’ll know one thing is true
They can take away anything from me
But they won’t take me from you.
And at 5.30 Billy’s daddy waited at the factory for him to come
And how he did degrade him, he cut him and he slayed him
And spat on him in front of everyone
As Billy lay dying, his poppa started crying
The cops appeared and threw him in the can
And all because the person who was the first to give him love
had been a man.