My Back Pages - Eric Johnson

Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth

«Rip down all hate,» I screamed

Lies that life is black and white

Spoke from my skull I dreamed

Romantic facts of musketeers

Foundationed deep, somehow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now

Girl’s faces formed the forward path

From phony jealousy

To memorizing politics

Of ancient history

Flung down by corpse evangelists

Unthought of, though, somehow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now

A self-ordained professor’s tongue

Too serious to fool

Spouted out that liberty

Is just equality in school

«Equality,» I spoke the word

As if a wedding vow

Ah, but I was so much older then

I’m younger than that now