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Billy Can’t Read Lyrics by Paul Overstreet

Heroes

1991

[Verse 1]
His momma and daddy were very poor and they never went to school
Billy followed in their footsteps like a lot of children do
He had to get a job to help pay the bills so his younger brother Ben
Might go to school and learn to read and write and maybe he could teach all of them
[Chorus]
But Billy can't read, no Billy can't read
But he gives two hundred percent for the minimum wage that he receives
Sometimes he pretends like he can as he looks
And he laughs at the pictures in the funny books
But it really ain't funny you see
That Billy can't read
[Verse 2]
Then the boss man came around, talked to Billy one day
He said, "Now Billy you're the hardest worker I've got and you sure deserve more pay
But the boss at the top says I have to give each foreman a written test
Billy hung his head cause he knew right then he'd always have to settle for less
[Chorus]
Cause Billy can't read, no Billy can't read
But he gives two hundred percent for the minimum wage that he receives
Sometimes he pretends like he can as he looks
And he laughs at the pictures in the funny books
But it really ain't funny you see
That Billy can't read
[Verse 3]
Little Ben never took for granted all his brother Billy's sacrifice
Every night while the family slept they would sit up late by that old lamp light
Sounding out the a's and the e's and the i's and the o's and u's
Now he is reading everything from the cereal box to the Bible three times through
[Chorus]
Cause Billy can read, yeah Billy can read
And now the rest of his life will be different because of the special gift he received
Now he don't have to act like he's laughing as he looks
At the silly pictures in those funny books
They're as funny as they can be
Now that Billy can read
[Tag]
Yeah his life is much better you see now that Billy can read
Credits
Paul Overstreet

Paul Overstreet

About “Billy Can’t Read” by Paul Overstreet

Read the complete lyrics to "Billy Can’t Read" by Paul Overstreet from the album "Heroes" in 1991. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Country.

"Billy Can’t Read" is performed by Paul Overstreet. from the album "Heroes" in 1991 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Billy Can’t Read", explore more songs by Paul Overstreet using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Billy Can’t Read" is credited to Paul Overstreet. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Billy Can’t Read" appears on "Heroes" in 1991.

Visit the Paul Overstreet artist page at /artist/paul-overstreet for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.