They're there for your first year They give you your first beer When you get your heart broke They're there for your worst year Don't get you at all But your alcohol don't fall too far from home They own too much wicker And drink too much liquor You'd wash your hands of them But blood's always thicker You might look just like them But don't leave you like them too long Family is family In church or in prison You get what you get And you don't get to pick them They might smoke like chimneys But give you their kidneys Yeah, friends come in handy But family is family They're there when you're married Divorced and remarried You fall out of touch But then someone gets buried And you're right back together Like no time has ever gone by Can't live with or without them You might talk about them But if someone else does well Then you'll knock them out Cause when it's all said and done They're the only ones that you got Family is family In church or in prison You get what you get And you don't get to pick them They might smoke like chimneys But give you their kidneys Yeah, friends come in handy But family is family Yeah, family is funny They'll ask you for money Even though they know You ain't got no money They show up at Christmas Get up in your business They might not be fancy But family is family You might look just like them That don't mean you like them But you love them