| I can tell by the look on your face | 
| It’s another day of fastin' | 
| I can tell by the length of the shadow | 
| That your face is castin' | 
| And you look both ways before you pray | 
| Just to see who’s watching you today | 
| It’s just your altar ego and it’s so hard to know | 
| (You don’t know) | 
| Beneath the piety, the hidden vanity begins to show | 
| It’s just your altar ego and you don’t even know | 
| (You don’t know) | 
| And you won’t even grow 'til His Spirit strikes a blow | 
| To your altar ego, altar ego | 
| (Altar ego, altar ego) | 
| You love to be seen by men | 
| In all the public places | 
| And you always pick the best of the seats | 
| You’ve got the social graces | 
| Can you be so proud of respect you’ve won | 
| When your left hand knows what your right has done | 
| It’s just your altar ego and it’s so hard to know | 
| (You don’t know) | 
| Beneath the piety, the hidden vanity begins to show | 
| It’s just your altar ego and you don’t even know | 
| (You don’t know) | 
| And you won’t even grow 'til His Spirit strikes a blow | 
| To your altar ego, altar ego | 
| (Altar ego, altar ego) | 
| Turn around and face the One | 
| Who knows your heart | 
| He knows your heart | 
| And you look both ways before you pray | 
| Just to see who’s watching you today | 
| It’s just your altar ego and it’s so hard to know | 
| (You don’t know) | 
| Beneath the piety, the hidden vanity begins to show | 
| It’s just your altar ego and you don’t even know | 
| (You don’t know) | 
| And you won’t even grow 'til His Spirit strikes a blow | 
| To your altar ego, altar ego, altar ego, altar ego | 
| (Altar ego, altar ego, altar ego, altar ego, altar ego, altar ego) | 
| (Altar ego, altar ego, altar ego, altar ego) |