[Verse 1]
White houses in neat little rows contrasting against the sky
Tumbled-down black shacks over the tracks, children so hungry they could cry
The chrome, the steel, the metal dream, leaving the teepee to rot
The escapist young mind, left behind, saving dimes for community pot

[Chorus]
You better get straight
Better, better get straight, babe
I feel you better get straight right now
Better get it, better, better get straight, babe

[Verse 2]
They're crying out for love all the time, but they fail to see the neighbors' eyes
The TV is on, 6 o'clock news, and channels in full-colored lies
The company meets, the president speaks, he's young but his bones creak
Young girl dresses for the high school dance and the guy next door is dying for a beat

[Chorus]
Get straight
You better, yes, you better get straight, babe
Oh, did you get what I said?
I said to you, that you, you better, you better get it straight
You better, you better get straight, yeah

[Verse 3]
They put a Bible in the drawer of the motel room and it's crying out to be read
But it stays right there collecting dust, no one understands what's being said
Lovers make love in country boxes, what will tomorrow bring?
They've been told that it's wrong, but they don't give a damn, soon, another life, it will bring
[Chorus]
You better get straight, babe
Yeah, you, you better get straight, baby
Oh, and I think I better get myself to get it straight

[Outro]
You know what I mean?
I've been bent for so very long
Yeah, yeah
I wanna fly right, I wanna do it alright
I wanna get it, get it, baby
You better get it, you better, you better get straight right now
Because I've been told and I'm telling you, baby
Passing on some pretty good advice
Get straight, baby, yeah
Yeah
'Cause you care what the man says, baby
You know that I'm talking 'bout