Under One Roof lyrics

Billy ran away from his home to find a way to live in peace

His mama didn't give a damn about him

And his papa's on the run from the police

When Billy hit the city - the city hit Billy

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 me down

I was 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 papa 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

He 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, I'm 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

He can take away anything from me

But he won't take me from you"

And at five thirty Billy's daddy waited at the factory for him

to come

And how it did degrade him, he cut him and he slayed him

And spat on him in front of everyone

As Billy lay dying, his papa started crying

Because the parent through him he became

And all because the person who was the first to give him love

Had been a man