i was born on the north side of a midwestern town there was nine of us living in a three bedroom house yeah i didn t have much money we made due cause momma worked all day long and daddy did too did all they could made sure we had clothes and food yeah went to public schools and we followed public rules we used second hand books oh oh i didn t mind the books momma 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 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 see fifty cents would buy us yes popcorn for two cause bobby s girl she worked there and sometimes she d break the rules yes 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 and a friend was a friend bring back those simple times of yesterday when you said what you meant and you meant what you said yeah sometimes i sit i wonder i reminisce i think of all the good times that we had in our lives sometimes i can t get over 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 and a friend was a friend bring back those simple times of yesterday when you said what you meant and you meant what you said 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 when you said what you meant and you meant what you said 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 when you said what you meant and you meant what you said bring back those simple times of yesterday when a man was a man and a friend was a friend 