Ferdinand standing in the tower
Thinkin' how to get the power
Empress knows that it would cost her
For Ferdinand The Impostor
Came to me to make a deal
Dressed like General Butterfield
Couldn't wait to thank him for
The stuffed birds and rubber door
Donated to him from the poor
It's just his game
And he carries no shame
But he done nobody wrong
He knew he didn't belong
But he went along
Looking to see if there's somebody
Else he'd like to be
Benny the Barber, Luke and me
Passed out tickets cautiously
To see the burning of the soup
Down at Lucy's chicken coop
Then of course Ferdinand
Started out doing Charlie Chan
That last atlas honky's fall
He says he's gonna do them all
A voice just said he's not for real
But it's just his game
And he carries no shame
But he done nobody wrong
He knew he didn't belong
But he went along
Lookin' to see if there's somebody
Else he'd like to be, mainly free
It's hard, oh, don't you know?
To be somebody that you don't even know
But he's friendly, yes he's kind
I can't help wonderin'
Why they'd want to change his mind?
I got a message in the mail
Ferdinand was thrown in jail
I left the snow with Abigail
Went on down to fix his bail
Locked in a gunny sack
His hands were tied behind his back
He claimed he was a Doukhobor
But they never heard of that in Baltimore
The police said
He'd better go home
And he went back alone
Back to the snow
But still he done nobody wrong
He just didn't belong but he went along
Lookin' to see if there's somebody
Else he'd like to be, mainly free