From the recording At My Place
Lyrics
Subject 709
Mom and Dad weren’t home very much
But the threat of a belt remained
The kid followed rules to a tee
Studied hard with little complaint
He strayed from social events
Kept a short list of blackboard friends
Then a judge with a bright idea
Sent the kid to a loony bin
He can’t advance inside
The walls block his acclaim
Fortitude never knocks
(So) Nobody knows his name
Subject 709 – he’s not the type to be defined
Don’t treat him benign
You won’t confine 709
Most patients lowered down the kid
And the staff looked the other way
He worked hard and kept to himself
A savant just a chance away
True freedom lives outside
His self-assurance knows
A saint extends her hand
Hey shrinks, it’s time to go
Life is a stage where people engage
False perceptions make it cruel
The curtain is drawn with staff looking on
While an actor plays the fool
Who’s getting fooled?
He set goal to help fellow man (8)
By inventing the next great cure (8)
His escape was carefully planned (8)
Then he quietly disappeared (8)
A sunrise supplies strength
Let the anger dissipate
No turning from the mirror
Put his file away
Jay Banwell, arrangements: Peter Moore
Copyright 2015 W. Jay Banwell Music (ASCAP) and Pineapple Pond Publishing (ASCAP)