Out in the Open

I remember in my younger years Walking to the city pool Got yelled at, called a faggot From this kid I knew in school His dad, and dad before him Lived outside of town With a lack of education And the options weren't around Sometimes I'd see that boy in class With bruises on his eyes Red and pretty swollen Tears tangled up in pride Repeating memorized rhetoric About it being God's way If I didn't follow the good book There'd be some hell to pay I don't blame you for how you turned out A habit's hard to break You were born into what you became And I was born this way I can try to show compassion Before you take that shot Out here in the open Whether I like it or not Driving back from a party With friends on a Saturday night I slowed down to a wreckage In the coldest part of night That boy who called me faggot Lie bleeding, almost dead He wrecked that truck from drinking And the windshield met his head Well I pulled him from the driver seat Said help is on its way Put my hand up upon his chest And said it'll be okay When he focused on my likeness I could see it in his eyes Everything he'd been taught to hate Would finally save his life And the irony about this I told him with a smile Your God must work in stranger ways Than your heart will allow He caught his breath between the tears His eyes bloodshot and dim His rebel-flag, tattooed hand Holding mine to his He said please don't blame me for how I turned out I learned a little late I was born into what I became And you were born this way I can try to show compassion That might be all I've got Out here in the open Whether I like it or not