A young lad not much younger than me and you
Went up to Pa to say thank you
For all the good deeds and thoughts he gave
The man had given him, more than he intended to say
"Pa", he said with a look in his eye
"Why have ye done these things unto me?
Surely I haven't deserved them, not one, not three
I've cheated, I stole, I lied, I've yelled
Yet every time you seem so thrilled,
When I come running back into your arms unrepelled"
The man worn with age looked back at the lad
For he seem to know what he was thinking
Not angry not mad
How this possible, how was it done, was the man a fool
Was justice not won?
No switches with buttons, no tricks from above
Yet this man's incredible capacity to reach out and love
Throughout years of hardship, this man had paid
The ultimate price for his love seen today
As a young fellow, robbed of all things
All food, all housing, by selfish sufferings
They took every last toy, every last little bit
of Mother's new quilting and painting oils kit
Left to the mercy of the landlord that day
The man showed no compassion and threw them away
For the house was theirs till it was paid
So close with the earnings, they stashed away.
Boy and his family left in debtor's prison to rot
No chance to get out
A chance they desperately sought
Years went by, members were lost
In the sands of time, but at what cost?
The boy turned old, every tick of the clock
His beard went down to his knees and his socks
His debt not paid, so he sat there to rot
His wrists and ankles swollen with rage
For 26 long years, he sat in his cage
Tossed aside, like a yesterday
For 26 long years he had nothing to do
Except look through the cracks in the wall
His paradise view
For 26 years, had come and gone by
But time had stood still, in his cell
Left to die
"I have no purpose here, I've thought it through
Executioner, you know what to do
My life was taken from me, robbed to say
On this very morning 26 years ago today
No mercy, no kindness, in this world was ever shown
No visits, no compassion was ever known
God has forsaken me, forgotten I was here
In my cell waiting and wishing, counting my years
I have no purpose here, I've thought it through
Executioner, you know what to do"
As they unlocked him and opened the cage
A quiet small boy once, now old filled with rage
"Put me out of my misery", he angrily thought
As he saw others, tying the hangman's knot
He crawled out of the cell one last time
He looked at his crack and started to cry
"This is it, years wasted has come to an end"
Robbing things to taking time, a really bad trend
They walked down a hallway, slowly but steady
To meet his fate, he wanted to take
Hope was all lost, he thought he was ready
Right then, and not possibly sooner
A messenger had arrived with a note
From a mysterious crooner
The Prison had a new owner, it said
Take everyone left for dying or dead
And take them outside and count the heads
Society has taken the poor and locked them over
Gave them the scrapes
And treated them as leftovers.
The guards hurried and rushed him away
To the Courtyard, the line down the hallway
Line of murders, thieves and filthy
A line of crooks, witches, and very guilty
These people were criminals, to say the least
Hard ones, soft ones, and the ones in-between
The man was getting impatient, what was this for?
Were they beating people down to the hard dusty floor?
Was this the punishment for being so poor?
Or perhaps a surprise waited in store
The line moved slowly but surely
As if to meet his Maker so very early
As he got the front of the line, outside
The sun gently touched him
To remind him, that he was still alive
A man at a desk, quickly studied him
and looked at a paper, and looked back to him
In an announcement, fit for a king
He started to slowly read or wonderfully sing
"Benjamin Thomas Gates", he began to say
Boy, it was wonderful to hear his own name
Yet, it seem to belong to someone else, surely not him
Yet, it was his, his own name, Benjamin
"Owes 150 gold pence to the landlord," he started to say
But a new man, with a friendly old smile said
"Considered it paid!"
As he slapped down 15 gold pieces, and walked away
The guards took a key and took the chains free
The man still in shock, looked down at his wrist to see
No man did he still owe, from a deed long ago
He looked back at his once unearthly abode
and ran to the man walking down the dirt road.
"Why thank you, thank you kind sir"
He embraced Him with a cloud full of dirt
" I stand all amazed, at your capacity to love, not hurt
A sinner, forsaken from up above,
A soul, so rebellious as mine, was surely meant
To suffer and die
Yet you saved my soul, my life, my end
How can I ever repay you, my good friend"
Tears flooded his face, into his beard
The fellow was also streamed with tears
The unknown man started to speak, and said
"A wise old man, told me to win the day, my son
Never give up till its been done
Faith, Hope and Charity can the day be saved and won
Every person deserves a little kindness, a little friend
To keep them smiling till the end
Sir, you are welcome, but it's not my thanks to take
It's the Lord's, just using me to bless mans sake
Thanks Him for He has blessed ye
For a new life, renewed Charity"
The man left as fast as he came
Leaving a cloud of dust like a train
Benjamin Thomas Gates got down on his knees
To thanks the Good Lord for hearing his pleas
"Lord, I thank you for my freedom today
I have been faithless and scared to wither away
Yet you're always been there, how can I ever repay thee?"
A small little whisper, no one to see
"Do these things unto the least of my brethren
And ye have done them unto me!"
From that day forward to the time currently
Where his son, sees impossible mercy
Even as he
From that day forward, forgiveness was he
Never forgot that day, the Lord set him free
He sees ever need every burden to save
He will not skip the homeless, the scared or the brave
His deed don't go unnoticed, every day to see
He lives by the motto
"If ye have done it to the least of my brethren, ye have done it unto Me"
Went up to Pa to say thank you
For all the good deeds and thoughts he gave
The man had given him, more than he intended to say
"Pa", he said with a look in his eye
"Why have ye done these things unto me?
Surely I haven't deserved them, not one, not three
I've cheated, I stole, I lied, I've yelled
Yet every time you seem so thrilled,
When I come running back into your arms unrepelled"
The man worn with age looked back at the lad
For he seem to know what he was thinking
Not angry not mad
How this possible, how was it done, was the man a fool
Was justice not won?
No switches with buttons, no tricks from above
Yet this man's incredible capacity to reach out and love
Throughout years of hardship, this man had paid
The ultimate price for his love seen today
As a young fellow, robbed of all things
All food, all housing, by selfish sufferings
They took every last toy, every last little bit
of Mother's new quilting and painting oils kit
Left to the mercy of the landlord that day
The man showed no compassion and threw them away
For the house was theirs till it was paid
So close with the earnings, they stashed away.
Boy and his family left in debtor's prison to rot
No chance to get out
A chance they desperately sought
Years went by, members were lost
In the sands of time, but at what cost?
The boy turned old, every tick of the clock
His beard went down to his knees and his socks
His debt not paid, so he sat there to rot
His wrists and ankles swollen with rage
For 26 long years, he sat in his cage
Tossed aside, like a yesterday
For 26 long years he had nothing to do
Except look through the cracks in the wall
His paradise view
For 26 years, had come and gone by
But time had stood still, in his cell
Left to die
"I have no purpose here, I've thought it through
Executioner, you know what to do
My life was taken from me, robbed to say
On this very morning 26 years ago today
No mercy, no kindness, in this world was ever shown
No visits, no compassion was ever known
God has forsaken me, forgotten I was here
In my cell waiting and wishing, counting my years
I have no purpose here, I've thought it through
Executioner, you know what to do"
As they unlocked him and opened the cage
A quiet small boy once, now old filled with rage
"Put me out of my misery", he angrily thought
As he saw others, tying the hangman's knot
He crawled out of the cell one last time
He looked at his crack and started to cry
"This is it, years wasted has come to an end"
Robbing things to taking time, a really bad trend
They walked down a hallway, slowly but steady
To meet his fate, he wanted to take
Hope was all lost, he thought he was ready
Right then, and not possibly sooner
A messenger had arrived with a note
From a mysterious crooner
The Prison had a new owner, it said
Take everyone left for dying or dead
And take them outside and count the heads
Society has taken the poor and locked them over
Gave them the scrapes
And treated them as leftovers.
The guards hurried and rushed him away
To the Courtyard, the line down the hallway
Line of murders, thieves and filthy
A line of crooks, witches, and very guilty
These people were criminals, to say the least
Hard ones, soft ones, and the ones in-between
The man was getting impatient, what was this for?
Were they beating people down to the hard dusty floor?
Was this the punishment for being so poor?
Or perhaps a surprise waited in store
The line moved slowly but surely
As if to meet his Maker so very early
As he got the front of the line, outside
The sun gently touched him
To remind him, that he was still alive
A man at a desk, quickly studied him
and looked at a paper, and looked back to him
In an announcement, fit for a king
He started to slowly read or wonderfully sing
"Benjamin Thomas Gates", he began to say
Boy, it was wonderful to hear his own name
Yet, it seem to belong to someone else, surely not him
Yet, it was his, his own name, Benjamin
"Owes 150 gold pence to the landlord," he started to say
But a new man, with a friendly old smile said
"Considered it paid!"
As he slapped down 15 gold pieces, and walked away
The guards took a key and took the chains free
The man still in shock, looked down at his wrist to see
No man did he still owe, from a deed long ago
He looked back at his once unearthly abode
and ran to the man walking down the dirt road.
"Why thank you, thank you kind sir"
He embraced Him with a cloud full of dirt
" I stand all amazed, at your capacity to love, not hurt
A sinner, forsaken from up above,
A soul, so rebellious as mine, was surely meant
To suffer and die
Yet you saved my soul, my life, my end
How can I ever repay you, my good friend"
Tears flooded his face, into his beard
The fellow was also streamed with tears
The unknown man started to speak, and said
"A wise old man, told me to win the day, my son
Never give up till its been done
Faith, Hope and Charity can the day be saved and won
Every person deserves a little kindness, a little friend
To keep them smiling till the end
Sir, you are welcome, but it's not my thanks to take
It's the Lord's, just using me to bless mans sake
Thanks Him for He has blessed ye
For a new life, renewed Charity"
The man left as fast as he came
Leaving a cloud of dust like a train
Benjamin Thomas Gates got down on his knees
To thanks the Good Lord for hearing his pleas
"Lord, I thank you for my freedom today
I have been faithless and scared to wither away
Yet you're always been there, how can I ever repay thee?"
A small little whisper, no one to see
"Do these things unto the least of my brethren
And ye have done them unto me!"
From that day forward to the time currently
Where his son, sees impossible mercy
Even as he
From that day forward, forgiveness was he
Never forgot that day, the Lord set him free
He sees ever need every burden to save
He will not skip the homeless, the scared or the brave
His deed don't go unnoticed, every day to see
He lives by the motto
"If ye have done it to the least of my brethren, ye have done it unto Me"