A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that JoePa used to make me smile
And, I knew if I had my chance that "We are Penn State!" I would chant,
and...
Maybe I'd be happy for a while
But, last November made me shiver, with each newspaper they'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep - were kids raped while JoePa slept?
I can't remember if I cried when I read about his baleful pride,
but
Something touched me deep inside, I knew Paterno lied
So, bye bye Miss Pennsylvania Pie
Asked their knowledge at State College, but their knowledge they hide, and
Them good ol' boys they were wearin' blue and white ties, singing...
Joe's a saint, he would never lie,
Joe's a saint, he would never lie
Did you know our team we love, and do you have faith in Joe, above
If cheerleaders tell you so
Now, do you believe in New Year's bowls, can football save your mortal soul? And...
Can I wear a rubber mask of Joe?
Well, I know we can't speak truth of him, 'cause I saw the students rioting
His team wore old black shoes - so no way he'd allow abuse!
I was a bitter Lion fan with pluck, clinging to God, to guns and my pickup truck, but...
I knew I was out of luck. You see, Paterno lied
I started singing, bye bye Miss Pennsylvania Pie
Asked their knowledge at State College, but their knowledge they hide, and
Them good ol' boys they were wearin' blue and white ties, singing...
Joe's a saint, he would never lie,
Joe's a saint, he would never lie
Now, for six months we've been on our own, with no JoePa 'round to set our tone, but...
That's not how it used to be
When Sandusky coached such tenacious D, his "retirement" was a mystery
Or then so it seemed to you and me, and
While Joe said nothing strange went down, as Gerry brought more boys around
The courtroom was adjourned - a verdict was returned
While the foreman read out Gerry's guilt, what of Joe's statue that we built?
Like old Joe Stalin's, will it tilt, because Paterno lied?
We were singing, bye bye Miss Pennsylvania Pie
Asked their knowledge at State College, but their knowledge they hide, and
Them good ol' boys they were wearin' blue and white ties, singing...
Joe's a saint, he would never lie,
Joe's a saint, he would never lie
Helter, skelter, Joe's commands we knelt for - the East we fled for the Big Ten's shelter
Midwest schools where we're mis-cast
We've landed far from our past
Now athletes beat students en masse, and JoePa, on the sidelines, gives a pass
Now, his "discipline" was sweet perfume, "run steps" to Blue Band marching tunes
Triponey took a stance, oh, but she never got the chance
'Cause the whole school was Joe's practice field - on that he just refused to yield
Do you recall what Freeh revealed, the ways Paterno lied.
We started singing, Bye bye Miss Pennsylvania Pie
Asked their knowledge at State College, but their knowledge they hid, and
Them good ol' boys they were wearin' blue and white ties, singing...
Joe's a saint, he would never lie,
Joe's a saint, he would never lie
And, now put yourself in Joe's place - a geriatric saving face
With no time left to start again
So, come on, Joe be nimble, Joe be quick - upstairs the info Joe did kick, cause...
He'd later "talk" with Curley, his good friend
Though Joe's spin doctors take the stage, the victims fuel good people's rage,
No four-hundred-eight wins, absolve such monstrous sins
And, as they cried excuses through the night, to try to prove their idol right, I saw...
Satan laughing with delight. He knows Paterno lied
He was singing, bye bye Miss Pennsylvania Pie
Asked their knowledge at State College, but their knowledge they hide, and
Them good ol' boys they were wearin' blue and white ties, singing...
Joe's a saint, he would never lie,
Joe's a saint, he would never lie
I met a boy in white and blue, and I asked him for some happy news
He just frowned and turned away
I went down to Beaver field once more, where I'd heard the cheering years before, but...
The man there said the cheering went away
In Joe's locker-room the children screamed, their mothers cried, yet no help was seen, for...
Not a word was spoken - State's alarm bells all were broken
And the three men I admired most: Joe the Father, Joe the Coach, Joe of Pious Boasts, he...
"reported up" and drank a toast. Yes, Joe Paterno lied.
And, they were singing, bye bye Miss Pennsylvania Pie
Asked their knowledge at State College, but their knowledge they hide, and
Them good ol' boys they were wearin' blue and white ties, singing...
Joe's a saint, he would never lie,
Joe's a saint, he would never lie
Yes, they were singing, bye bye Miss Pennsylvania Pie
Asked their knowledge at State College, but their knowledge they hide, and
Them good ol' boys they were wearin' blue and white ties, singing...
Joe's a saint, he would never lie