Ballad of Billie Sol Songtext
von Phil Ochs

Billie Sol was a man
From the giant Texas land
He put the Chamber of Commerce on a limb
They voted him the best
And the government did no less
′Til the I.O.U.'s of Texas fell on him

Stand tall, Billie Sol, we don′t know you at all
We've taken down your pictures from the wall
Well, we don't want to handle an agriculture scandal
We have got to face elections in the fall

Oh, I remember when
Bill had influential friends
He celebrated Christmas every day
He filled several Texas banks with his fertilizer tanks
Influential friends don′t die, they only fade away

Stand tall, Billie Sol, we don′t know you at all
We've taken down your pictures from the wall
Well, we don′t want to handle an agriculture scandal
We have got to face elections in the fall


The Democrats deny
And Orville Freeman sighs
He said, "Everyone around was fair and square"
But he was no more convincing
Than Ezra Taft Benson
As resignations cropped up everywhere

Stand tall, Billie Sol, we don't know you at all
We′ve taken down your pictures from the wall
Well, we don't want to handle an agriculture scandal
We have got to face elections in the fall

And now I′d like to say
That crime sure doesn't pay
But if you want to make some money on the sly
Well you can always rent
The US Government
It's the best one that money can buy

Stand tall, Billie Sol, we don′t know you at all
We′ve take down your pictures from the wall
Well, we don't want to handle an agriculture scandal
We have got to face elections in the fall