I helped my good friend's brother   Out of trouble when he was in jail   I was rushed 'cause I got lucky   Paid his lawyer and I paid his bail   Glad to be able just to pay the price   The price it took to set him free   I never heard a single "thank you" at all   You'd think by now I could see      All the good that I did was for nothing, aah   All the good that I did was for nothing   Why don't I just let it be?      I fought for two young lovers   New York artists they were on the run   Got them out to California   One was gifted and the other was fun      Merchants will always be merchants, of course   But an artist's is a fragile life   And it's something I have always believed   Memory cuts like a knife      All the good that I did was for nothing, aah   All the good that I did was for nothing, aah   All the good that I did was for nothing   All the good that I did   (All the good that I did)   Why can't I just let it be?      All the good that I did was for nothing, aah   All the good that I did   All the good that I did was for nothing   All the good I did   All the good I did   All the good I did was for nothing