They heard his cries in the night from across the lawn
They found him dead at the bottom of the lake at dawn
Nobody'd come running to the rescue
And when they were asked
The passersby said that the signs
That they read said: Keep off the grass

'Cause you can't go near
Anybody else's private ground
See folks 'round here
Have got a democratic right to drown
And you're just a fool
If you care about the faces in the crowd
We've got a new edition of the golden rule
No trespassing allowed

Nobody asked her 'bout the bruises on her face
I guess she was glad
That they gave her her personal space
When the bones wouldn't mend
And it came to an end in the dead of the night
They neighbours were sad
But at least they had respected her rights

'Cause you can't go near
Anybody else's private ground
See folks 'round here
Have got a democratic right to drown
And you're just a fool
If you care about the faces in the crowd
We've got a new edition of the golden rule
No trespassing allowed

Can't you read the signs?
These are enlightened times
Got to be careful not to think too much
You can watch 'em going under, but you just can't touch

'Cause you can't go near
Anybody else's private ground
See folks 'round here
Have got a democratic right to drown
And you're just a fool
If you care about the faces in the crowd
We've got a new edition of the golden rule
Got a new edition of the golden rule
No trespassing allowed