Song for Sonny Liston

　　　　So many mouths
　　　To feed on the farm
　　　Sonny was the second
　　　To the last one born
　　　His mamma ran away
　　And his daddy beat him bad
　　　And he grew up wild
　　　Good love he never had
　　　　He had a left
　　　Like henry's hammer
　　A right like betty bamalam
　　　Rode with the muggers
　　　In the dark and dread
　　And all them sluggers
　　　Went down like lead
　　Well he hung with the hoods
　　He wouldn't stroke the fans
　　　But he had dynamite
　　　In both his hands
　　　　Boom bam
　　　Like the slammer door
　　　The bell and the can
　　And the bodies on the floor
　　Beware the bear's in town
　　Somebody's money says
　　The bear's going down
　　Yeah, the bear never smiles
　　　Sonny's going down
　　　For miles and miles
　　　Sonny's going down
　　　For miles and miles
　　The writers didn't like him
　　　The fight game jocks
　　With his lowlife backers
　　And his hands like rocks
　　They didn't want to have
　　　　A bogey man
　　　They didn't like him
　　And he didn't like them
　　　　Black cadillac
　　　　Alligator boots
　　　Money in the pockets
　　　Of his sharkskin suits
　　　Some say the bear
　　　　Took a flop
　　They couldn't believe it
　　When they saw him drop
　　　　He had a left
　　　Like henry's hammer
　　A right like betty bamalam
　　　Rode with the muggers
　　　In the dark and dread
　　　And all them sluggers
　　　Went down like lead
　　　Joe Louis was his hero
　　　He tried to be the same
　　　But a criminal child
　　　Wears a ball and chain
　　So the civil rights people
　　Didn't want him on the throne
　　And the hacks and the cops
　　Wouldn't leave him alone
　　Beware the bear's in town
　　Somebody's money says
　　The bear's going down
　　Yeah, the bear never smiles
　　　Sonny's going down
　　　For miles and miles
　　　Sonny's going down
　　　For miles and miles
　　　At the foot of his bed
　　With his feet on the floor
　　There was dope in his veins
　　And a pistol on the drawer
　　There was no investigation
　　　　　As such
　　　He hated needles
　　But he knew too much
　　　　Criss-crossed
　　　　On his back
　　　Scars from his daddy
　　　Like slavery tracks
　　The second-last child
　　Was the second-last king
　　Never again was it the same
　　　　In the ring
　　　　He had a left
　　　Like henry's hammer
　　A right like betty bamalam
　　Rode with the muggers
　　In the dark and dread
　　And all them sluggers
　　　Went down like lead
　　They never could be sure
　　About the day he was born
　　　A motherless child
　　Set to working on the farm
　　And they never could be sure
　　　About the day he died
　　The bear was the king
　　　They cast aside
　　Beware the bear's in town
　　Somebody's money says
　　The bear's going down
　　Yeah, the bear never smiles
　　　Sonny's going down
　　　For miles and miles
　　　Sonny's going down
　　　For miles and miles