| 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 |
| An 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 |