We said 'yes, ma'am and 'yes, sir' and a good whooping still worked If we talked back we got it again Back when kids got in fights, they didn't use guns or knives A bloody nose was as far as it went And we all ate our suppers with a daddy and a mother At the table without the TV Yeah, that's how it was and that's how it still ought to be Yeah, the world was much safer, you could count on your neighbor And a stranger was someone you just hadn't met yet We trusted our preachers, our heroes and teachers And believed every word that they said There was no credit crunch and gas wasn't so much And our jobs hadn't gone overseas Yeah, that's how it was and that's how it still ought to be Yeah, the world was much safer, you could cont on your neighbor And a stranger was someone you just hadn't met yet We trusted our preachers, our heroes and teachers And believed every word that they said Yeah, we followed the good book, now every time I look back I sure do like what I see Yeah, that's how it was and that's how it still ought to be Yeah, that's how it was and if you're asking me Well that's how it still ought to be