So you’ve decided to set me freeI’ve paid my debt to societyFresh out of jail trying to make a new startOn the street with a bitter heartBut my past keeps on haunting meThere ain’t no chance for a man with my historyOnce a thiefAlways a suspectOnce a liarNever be believedWill they ever forget thatI was once a thief? I was out in the coldI was soaked to the skinI needed a homeAnd your heart took me inThen I heard all the liesAnd I lost my beliefYou threw away my hopeAnd you called me a thiefSo you’ve decided to set me freeI’m out of jail but you’ve still got the keyThere was a time when I thought you respected meBut somehow you always suspected meOnce a thiefAlways a suspectOnce a liarNever be believedWill they ever forget thatI was once a thief? Instead of offering me charity,You should’ve tried to put some faith in meInstead of making me a better man,You kept reminding me of what I amInstead of offering me charity,You should’ve tried to put some faith in meHow many years must a criminal pay? Until he’s old and his hair turns to grayYou smile at meBut I know underneathYou’re thinkingOnce a thief always a suspect.Once a thiefAlways a suspectOnce a liarNever be believedWill they ever forget thatI was once a thief?