The Ballad of Charles Whitman

He was sitting up there for more than an hour
Way up there on the Texas Tower
Shooting from the twenty-seventh floor, yahoo

He didnt choke or slash or slit them
Not our Charles Joseph Whitman
He wont be an architect no more

Got up that morning calm and cool
He picked up his guns and walked to school
All the while he smiled so sweetly
And it blew their minds completely
Theyd never seen an Eagle Scout so cruel

Now wont you think for the shame and degradation
For the schools administration?

He put on such a bold and brassy show
The Chancellor cried, "Its adolescent
And of course its most unpleasant
But I got to admit it was a lovely way to go"

There was a rumor about a tumor
Nestled at the base of his brain
He was sitting up there with his .36 Magnum
Laughing wildly as he bagged em
Who are we to say the boys insane?

Now Charlie was awful disappointed
Else he thought he was anointed
To do a deed so lowdown and so mean

The students looked up from their classes
Had to stop and rub their glasses
Whod believe hed once been a Marine

Now Charlie made the honor roll with ease
Most all of his grades was As and Bs
A real rip snorting, trigger squeezer
Charlie proved a big crowd pleaser
Though he had been known to make a couple Cs

Some were dying, some were weeping
Some were studying, some were sleeping
Some were shouting, Texas number one
Some were running, some were falling
Some were screaming, some were bawling
Some thought the revolution had begun

The doctors tore his poor brain down
But not a snitch of illness could be found
Most folks couldnt figure just-a why he did it
And them that could would not admit it
Theres still a lot of Eagle Scouts around

There was a rumor about a tumor
Nestled at the base of his brain
He was sitting up there with his .36 Magnum
Laughing wildly as he bagged em

Who are we to say the boys in?
Who are we to say the boys in?
Who are we to say the boys insane?