The most beautiful and heart-wrenching song in the world, imho, and one hell of a moving performance. Especially the end of the song starting at 4:47…*sigh,* there are no words, it’s just perfect:] Gets me every time:]

I don’t know how I’m gonna tell you
I can’t play with you no more.
I don’t know how I’m gonna do what mama told me,
my friend, the girl next door.

I can’t believe what people saying,
you’re gonna let your hair hang down.
I’m satisfied to sit here working all day long,
here in the darker side of town.

And when I’m out I see you walking
Why don’t your eyes see me?
Could it be you’ve found another game to play?
What did mama say to me?

That’s the way, that’s the way it oughtta be.
I don’t think so.
My mama said, my mama said that’s the way it oughtta stay.

And yesterday I saw you standing by the river,
and weren’t those tears that filled your eyes?
And all the fish that lay in dirty water dying,
had they got you hypnotized?

And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers,
but all that lives is born to die.
And so I said to you that nothing really matters,
and all you do is stand and cry.

I know, I know, I know, I know.

I don’t know what to say about it,
when half the years turned away.
But now’s the time to look and look again at what you see,
is that the way it oughtta stay?

That’s the way, that’s the way it oughtta be.
My mama said, my mama said that’s the way it oughtta stay.

I don’t believe it’s right.
It ain’t right, it ain’t right, it ain’t right.

~ Earls Court, London, May 24, 1975