He was raised in the English way
His daddy taught him respect, he taught him how to pray
They sent him off to boarding school
Where he learned how to live by someone else's rule
And he went to confession
He went to confession
Holy Father, wash my sins away
He went to confession
He went to confession
Mother Mary, take the pain away
He read letters from home at night in his bed
And got this uneasy feeling when his father said:
Fear of God and the feel of the rod
Will raise a good boy
The fear of God and the feel of the rod
Will raise a good boy
He bought his daddy's car, and he learned to drive
And when he left school, he got a nine-to-five
He met the girl, and he got his spouse
And they had the child, and they got the house
And he went to confession
He went to confession
Holy Father, wash my sins away
He went to confession
He went to confession
Mother Mary, take the pain away
He loved his son, and he helped him build walls and fronts
He knew he'd heard it before
Someone had said it once:
Fear of God and the feel of the rod
Will raise a good boy
The fear of God and the feel of the rod
Will raise a good boy
He raised his son in the English way
And he taught him respect, he taught him how to pray
He sent him off to boarding school
Where he learned how to live by someone else's rules
And he went to confession
He went to confession
Holy Father, wash my sins away
He went to confession
He went to confession
Mother Mary, take the pain away
It must be something much deeper than fear or pain
Another child learns a pattern, he won't break the chain
Fear of God and the feel of the rod
Will raise a good boy
The fear of God and the feel of the rod
Will raise a good boy