Guess You Had to Be There
Janis Ian                    [by Janis Ian ž1992 Gypsy Light Pub]
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Back in 1963, we walked a fine line.
We were taking to the streets, skating on a thin dime.
We were searching after truth and beauty,
Now they turn it into late night movies
How can I explain that it's not the same?

Guess you had to be there, to be where
Love belonged to everyone.
Flowers in the long hair, we stood there
Singing "We shall overcome"
Knowing the eyes of the world were on us
Knowing the whole world cared
Guess you had to be there

In the summer of our youth we came together
And we knew that our truth, it would live forever
We were going to make the whole world honest
When a bullet got the bravest of us
Somehow nothing else was sacred
And we all stood naked

Guess you had to be there, to be where
Love belonged to everyone.
Flowers in the long hair, we stood there
Singing "We shall overcome"
Knowing the eyes of the world were on us
Knowing the whole world cared
Guess you had to be there

Now we listen to the news
And it seems all hope is gone.
Everybody feeling used
And there's nowhere left to run
Sometimes it feels like the memory
Is all that's left of our used-to-be
But what can never be denied
Is the way we changed inside.

Guess you had to be there, to be where
Love belonged to everyone.
Flowers in the long hair, we stood there
Singing "We shall overcome"
Knowing the eyes of the world were on us
Knowing the whole world cared
Guess you had to be there