Afternoon Matinee: Protest - Matthew

Performed by Janis Ian

Footsteps on gravel at the neighborhood bar,

Things start to unravel, then they go too far.

The sound of pain written on the wind,

Fades to gray and then goes dim.

A boy is tied to a barbed wire fence,

For the crows to ride, for the claws to clench,

For the sweet bouquet of blood and bone,

To undermine the scent of collegiate cologne.

What makes a man a man?

The cut of a coat, the hint of a tan?

It's not who you love, but whether you can.

What makes a man a man?

So, who did he harm, what was the crime?

Did he walk too lightly, did he seem too shy?

Did he make them wonder deep inside?

Did they feel like real men when he died?

Did the waning moon look down from on high?

Did the twinkling stars try to catch his eye?

Did the wind caress his flesh and bone?

Did they leave him there to die alone?

What makes a man a man?

The cut of a coat, the hint of a tan?

It's not who you love, but whether you can.

What makes a man a man?

Now the stars are nailed to an empty sky.

And the moon is pinned like a big butterfly.

And I'm afraid to shine too bright,

Since the day they took his life.

So, mothers, teach your children this,

Don't overreach, don't run the risk.

Hide in the shadows, don't expect

Your good heart to save your neck.

What makes a man a man?

The cut of a coat, the hint of a tan?

It's not who you love, but whether you can.

That makes a man a man.

That makes a man a man.

© Janis Ian

~ from MP3 Lyrics ~