The ballad of Sonny Liston
Sonny Liston was a man with dead eyes
every man alive was scared to look in them cold dead cloudy eyes
he couldn't read and he couldnt write
all that he knew how to do was rob and he could fight
he never knew the day or year that he was born
his mama had 13 kids on an arkansas farm
he never had no love to share for his dad
he said that bastard beat me every chance he had
he started his career out on a robbing spree
where he and his two buddies got thrown in the slammer
he learned to box there
the wardens and the preachers taught him
he got so good, they let him out early to benefit the sport and the nation
back then boxing was ruled by frankie carbo
him and a handful of other mafioso types you wouldnt wanna fuck with
they got Sonny's contract fair and square
by tapping his old manager on the shoulder sayin' get outta here
he fought his way to the top and he never did look back
knocked the champ on his ass in two minutes flat and thats where his troubles began
he started drinking gambling and partying all night long
but he was fighting and winning still so nobody seemed to mind
then came Cassius Clay, he gave Sonny the fight of his life
seven rounds later there was a new king of the ring
and Sonny walked away with his head in his hands
now Sonny still worked for the mob, and the story goes he upset them
so his wife comes home to find his dead bloated body filled with drugs he never used
A balada de Sonny Liston
Sonny Liston era um homem com olhos mortos
cada homem vivo tinha medo de olhar nesses olhos frios e nublados
não sabia ler e nem escrever
só sabia roubar e sabia lutar
nunca soube o dia ou o ano em que nasceu
sua mãe teve 13 filhos em uma fazenda no Arkansas
nunca teve amor pra dar pro pai
ele dizia que aquele filho da puta batia nele toda chance que tinha
começou sua carreira em uma onda de roubos
onde ele e seus dois amigos foram parar na cadeia
aprendeu a boxear lá
os carcereiros e os padres ensinaram ele
ficou tão bom que o deixaram sair mais cedo pra beneficiar o esporte e a nação
naquela época, o boxe era dominado por Frankie Carbo
ele e um punhado de outros mafiosos com quem você não queria se meter
eles pegaram o contrato do Sonny de forma justa
batendo no ombro do antigo empresário dele e dizendo pra ele se mandar
lutou seu caminho até o topo e nunca olhou pra trás
derrubou o campeão no chão em dois minutos e foi aí que seus problemas começaram
começou a beber, apostar e festejar a noite toda
mas ele ainda lutava e ganhava, então ninguém parecia se importar
aí veio Cassius Clay, que deu ao Sonny a luta da vida dele
sete rounds depois, havia um novo rei do ringue
e Sonny saiu com a cabeça nas mãos
agora Sonny ainda trabalhava pra máfia, e a história diz que ele os irritou
então sua esposa chegou em casa e encontrou seu corpo inchado e morto, cheio de drogas que ele nunca usou