Bad news travels by threes
But problems occur
Either one at a time
Or in multiples of four
When boys were boys and men were men
There must have been some woman then
But when boys were boys and men were men
The women were called ladies
Boys were boys and men were men
The ladies were the women then
And here's another though my friend
The babies were called babies
I'll bet the chicken and the hen
Were called the hen and the chicken then
Boys were boys and men were men
And women were called ladies
The barn was called a barn, and then
The apples were just apples again
And on and on again and again
The babies were called babies
When boys were boys and men were men
The planets were the planets then
Geraniums Geranium
And gratings were called grating
The stars were stars, but now and then
They called them orbs, and once and again
The night have called them Orion
But ladies were still ladies
The nanny goat were named right then
And ginger snaps were ginger then
Unmentionables were unmentioned
And Hades still was Hades
Yes boys were boys and men were men
But I believed and imagined
I'd miss the boyishness of men
And the laziness of ladies
