Released: June 17, 1969
Songwriter: Mac Davis Billy Strange
[Verse 1]
Back porch preacher preaching at me
Acting like he wrote the golden rule
Shaking his fist and speeching at me
Shouting from his soap box like a fool
Come Sunday morning he's lying in bed
With his eye all red, with the wine in his head
Wishing he was dead when he oughta be
Heading for Sunday school
[Chorus]
Clean up your own backyard
Oh don't you hand me none of your lines
Clean up your own backyard
You tend to your business, I'll tend to mine
[Verse 2]
Drugstore cowboy criticizing
Acting like he's better than you and me
Standing on the sidewalk supervising
Telling everybody how they ought to be
Come closing time 'most every night
He locks up tight and out go the lights
And he ducks out of sight and he cheats on his wife
With his employee
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
Armchair quarterback's always moaning
Second guessing people all day long
Pushing, fooling and hanging on in
Always messing where they don't belong
When you get right down to the nitty-gritty
Isn't it a pity that in this big city
Not a one a'little bitty man'll admit
He could have been a little bit wrong
[Chorus]
[Outro]
Clean up your own backyard
You tend to your business, I'll tend to mine
Back porch preacher preaching at me
Acting like he wrote the golden rule
Shaking his fist and speeching at me
Shouting from his soap box like a fool
Come Sunday morning he's lying in bed
With his eye all red, with the wine in his head
Wishing he was dead when he oughta be
Heading for Sunday school
[Chorus]
Clean up your own backyard
Oh don't you hand me none of your lines
Clean up your own backyard
You tend to your business, I'll tend to mine
[Verse 2]
Drugstore cowboy criticizing
Acting like he's better than you and me
Standing on the sidewalk supervising
Telling everybody how they ought to be
Come closing time 'most every night
He locks up tight and out go the lights
And he ducks out of sight and he cheats on his wife
With his employee
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
Armchair quarterback's always moaning
Second guessing people all day long
Pushing, fooling and hanging on in
Always messing where they don't belong
When you get right down to the nitty-gritty
Isn't it a pity that in this big city
Not a one a'little bitty man'll admit
He could have been a little bit wrong
[Chorus]
[Outro]
Clean up your own backyard
You tend to your business, I'll tend to mine
more tracks from the album
From the albums
- The Trouble with Girls (1969)
- Please Don’t Stop Loving Me (1970)
- Almost in Love (1970)
Elvis Presley popular songs
- Can’t Help Falling in Love
- Jailhouse Rock
- Love Me Tender
- Hound Dog
- Suspicious Minds
- Heartbreak Hotel
- Are You Lonesome Tonight?
- Unchained Melody
- In the Ghetto
- Blue Suede Shoes
- Don’t Be Cruel
- Blue Christmas
- Burning Love
- I Can’t Stop Loving You
- Stuck on You
- Always On My Mind
- If I Can Dream
- (You’re The) Devil In Disguise
- My Way
- An American Trilogy
- All Shook Up
- A Little Less Conversation
- Love Me
- It’s Now Or Never