Billy ran away from his home to find away to live in peace
His Mama didn't give a damn about him
His Papa's on the run from the Police
When Billy hit the city, the city hit Billy
No one needs you when you're down and out
Then one kind guy with the painted eyes
Picked him up and bailed him out

Under one roof sharing one room
Nobody cared about them under one roof
Sharing one room daring the world to part them

Billy found it hard to find a job to make some pay
All day looking round
getting me down I was being turned away
And Johnny was the only one who didn't talk down
To Billy from up above and for the first time in his life
Billy found out what it felt like to be loved.

Under one roof sharing one room
Nobody cared about them under one roof
Sharing one room daring the world to part them

Somehow Billy's papa found out all about the style of Billy's life
And it didn't take long before he came round and he had a knife
He cut up Johnny stole all his money
He called him all the names that he could find
Said he'd wait for Billy at the factory tomorrow
And show him what they do to Billy's kind.

Under one roof sharing one love
Now the whole world knew about them under one roof
sharing one love daring the world to part them.

Johnny said 'Billy we can run away from the world no more
I'm gonna fetch my daddy
I'm gonna show the world who I'm living for and if I lose my job
If I lose my life you'll know one thing is true
He can take away anything from me
But he won't take me from you.

And at five thirty dead his daddy waited at the factory
For him to come and how it did degrade
Him he cut him and he slayed him
And spat on him in front of ev'ryone
As Billy lay dying his Papa started crying
Because the parent through him he became
And all because the person who has the first to give him love
Had been a man.