Poem on the School House Door

Not long ago the Soul Children decided to go back home
And when we got there, found the old neighborhood where we grew up wasn't there anymore
And the old field where we played ball after school
The railroad has made it a freightyard now
But since we were there, we thought it was a good time to look up some of our old friends
But the old gang, they’re not around no more
'Cause time has brought about a change
But we just couldn't leave without visiting the old school where we once did attend
And when we got there, oh, Anita won’t you tell 'em what we found?

You know I was disappointed when we got there
Because we found a condemned sign hanging on the front door, yes we did
We took over the campus
And we noticed a few window panes had been broken here and there
And, oh, my mind, my mind began to drift back to the many, many times I stood on that old campus and sung the school alma mater
And it was there, yeah, lord have mercy
I said it was there, oh yeah, that I met my first love

I remember, Anita, we had an old custom then
That the graduating class would always leave something to be remembered by those who were coming on behind us
My old friend Norman left a trophy to be remembered, oh yes he did
And you left honorary records to be remembered, oh yeah, yeah
And I left a citation as being the best majorette of the year, yeah
But you know what, Children?

I wasn't able to leave a trophy
And I wasn't able to leave an honroray record
And I didn't leave a citation of achievement
But at the time, oh, I was in love
So I decided that I would leave something a little different, and this is what I left

I left a poem on the school house door
A poem on the school house door
And the girl that I wrote this poem to is not around, oh no, no
After graduation day, she went her separate way in life and I went mine
And I'm glad today that when I wrote this poem I wrote two copies:
One on the school house door
And my lord, one embedded deep down in my heart
But the one I wrote in my my my my my my my heart, is still there
Oh yeah
And this is what it said, Children
I want you to listen to it one time
Listen

[Harmony begins]

Sugar is sweet
Honey is too
But neither one
Is as sweet as you

These few words
Just to let you konw
You are the one
That I love so

A poem on the school house door
A poem on the school house door
[Fades out]
A poem on the school house door
A poem on the school house door