John Mellencamp - Case 795 (the Family) lyrics

Written by: John Mellencamp

Tony Jones stabbed Alice Jones

On their first anniversary

Down in Dallas, Texas

In a small apartment

With nobody present.

He pulled out a knife

And he stuck it to her.

He left her bleeding

On the floor in the kitchen

With cake on her fingers

And her wedding ring holding.

In her hand was a note

That said the wicked must suffer

And he drove off quickly

To his girlfriend's apartment.

But who really suffers in the end?

It's easy enough for us to pretend that

Everything's all right with the family.

Everything is safe here at home.

Everything's all right with the family.

The beds are made but there's no sheets on.

From the courtroom stand

Tony said he was sorry.

That he was sad and mixed up,

And he didn't know what he was doing,

That he'd always loved Alice

And he begged for forgiveness.

So he threw himself

On the mercy of the jury

And he told how his father

Had beat and abused him

Back in grade school

In the basement den,

And that maybe prison

Was the best thing for him.

And he said, "Oh God, can you forgive me?" yeah

But who really suffers in the end?

It's easy enough for us all to pretend that

Everything's all right with the family.

Everything is safe here at home.

Everything's all right with the family.

The beds are made but there's no sheets on.

How many days does it take to make us weak?

And how many hours do people spend lonely?

In the heart of the heart the family lay dying

The ruin of a nation lies at our feet, yeah.

Everything's all right with the family.

Everything is safe here at home.

Everything's all right with the family.

The beds are made but there's no sheets on.

(Repeat chorus.)