When he was a little boy
His father used to say
"You want to grow to be a man?
You'd better start today"
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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
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The only thing you'll ever own
Is what you hold inside
Your dignity, intelligence
Your loyalty and pride
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Ego and indifference
Are cancers of the weak
Honesty is godliness
Be truthful when you speak
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If you want to be remembered
When your earthly life is through
Then teach your sons to leave their mark
On everything they do
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Know when to turn the other cheek
Know when to seek revenge
The vine that never picks a side
Dies rotting on the fence
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Son, you wanna grow up
Think you ought to slow up
I see disaster in everything you do
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Dad, when I grow up
Things are gonna blow up
I'm gonna be a man just like you
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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"
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It's very hard to be the man
You read about in books
The knights and kings you fantasized
Now commoners and crooks
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But no one can imprison
An educated mind
So be yourself and free yourself
By learning all the time
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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