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