Simple Days

I was born on the north side of a mid-western town
There was nine of us living in a three-bedroom house, yeah
Didn't have much money but we made do
'Cause mama worked all day long and daddy did too

Did all they could, made sure we had clothes and food
Went to public schools and we followed public rules
We used second hand books, but oh, I didn't mind the books
Mama taught us early in life
Everybody's gotta struggle sometime

Bring back those simple times of yesterday
When a man was a man
And a friend was a friend

Bring back those simple times of yesterday (yesterday)
When you said what you meant
And you meant what you said

Had a friend named Bobby, who always kept his word
We went through schoolyard fights, had a thing for pretty girls, yeah
Didn't cost much money to see the picture show
So we hopped the bus into town
That's where all the girlies used to go sit

Fifty cents would buy us yeah, popcorn for two
'Cause Bobby's girl, she worked there
And sometimes she'd break the rules, yes
And picnics in the summer wouldn't wake up 'til noon
And even though Bobby's gone now
I can still hear him laugh in the middle of June

Bring back those simple times of yesterday
When a man was a man (hey)
And a friend was a friend (was a friend, yeah)

Bring back those simple times of yesterday (yesterday)
When you said what you meant
And you meant what you said

Sometimes I sit, I wonder
I reminisce, I think of all the good times
That we had in our lives (ah, ooh)

Sometimes I can't get over, oh
How wonderful those days were back in our lives
Simple days for simple times

Bring back those simple times of yesterday
When a man was a man (oh)
And a friend (woo) was a friend (was a friend, yeah)

Bring back those simple times of yesterday (yesterday)
When you said what you meant (when you say what mean)
And you meant what you said (hey)

(Bring it back now)
Bring back those simple times of (simple times of) yesterday (yesterday)
When a man was a man (man was a man)
And a friend was a friend (a friend was a friend, yeah)

Bring back those simple times of yesterday (yesterday)
When you said what you meant (hey)
And you meant what you said

Oh yeah, bring back those simple times of yesterday (yeah, yeah)
When a man was a man (a man was a man)
And a friend was a friend (was a friend)

Bring back those simple times of yesterday (yeah, yeah)
When you said what you meant (what you mean)
And you meant what you said (mean what you say)

Bring back those simple times of yesterday
When a man was a man
And a friend was a friend