When he was a little boy
His father used to say,
"You want to grow to be a man?
You'd better start today"
Listen closely to my words
And I will show you how
There're seven steps to manhood
And I'll teach them to you now
The only thing you'll ever own
Is what you hold inside
Your dignity, intelligence
Your loyalty and pride
Ego and indifference
Are cancers of the weak
Honesty is godliness
Be truthful when you speak
If you want to be remembered
When your earthly life is through
Then teach your sons to leave their mark
On everything they do
Know when to turn the other cheek
Know when to seek revenge
The vine that never picks a side
Dies rotting on the fence
Son, you wanna grow up
Think you ought to slow up
I see disaster in everything you do
Dad, when I grow up
Things are gonna blow up
I'm gonna be a man just like you
When the son became a father
Then he told his children, too
"Be mindful of the things I say
And not the things I do"
It's very hard to be the man
You read about in books
The knights and kings you fantasized
Now commoners and crooks
But no one can imprison
And educated mind
So be yourself and free yourself
By learning all the time
If you should discover
You've given all you can
There's nothing more to answer for
That's how to be a man
Son, you wanna grow up
Think you ought to slow up
I see disaster in everything you do
Dad, when I grow up
Things are gonna blow up
I'm gonna be a man just like you
