Stiff Little Fingers - Half A Life Away lyrics

Gill and Galloway were working late On a summers night in '58 In a small town Alabama hideaway In the U.S.A. The two cops were knocking on the door Of a young black boy It was a quarter to four They said: "Hey n******g! Hit the floor. You're about to be history." Pop Bickham was the young black man He couldn't work it out, he didn't understand But when they come with their guns you do what you can So he picked up his rifle and he shot them down They said he k**ed them in cold blood And the jury they agreed They said: "you'll be sorry for what you've done" And the whole town they agreed [Chorus:] They picked you up and they sent you down A poor black boy in a rich white town And for 38 years you never made a sound That was half a life away You see one of the cops had something to hide He'd raped Pop's sister more than once or twice And Pop wasn't going to let it go this time So the cops had to take him out But the courtroom didn't hear all of the story They held back facts from the all white jury No doubt what the verdict would be Take him down, he's guilty [Chorus] All these years in a prison cell Never once complaining Half your life gone to hell All because of hatred and bigotry You're a better man than me [Chorus x2]