[Verse 1]
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

[Pre-Chorus]
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

[Chorus]
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
[Verse 2]
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

[Pre-Chorus]
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

[Chorus]
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
When you said what you meant
And you meant what you said, yeah
[Bridge]
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

[Chorus]
Bring back those simple times of yesterday
When a man was a man
And a friend was a friend (was a friend, yeah)
Bring back those simple times of yesterday
When you said what you meant
And you meant what you said
(hey, bring 'em back now, yeah)

Bring back those simple times of yesterday
When a man was a man (a man was a man)
And a friend was a friend
(a friend was a friend, yeah)
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 (was a friend, say yeah)
Bring back those simple times of yesterday
When you said what you meant
And you meant what you said
(meant what you said)

Bring back those simple times of yesterday
When a man was a man
And a friend was a friend...