They call me a young man, Because even though I'm tall in frame I'm still growing And even though my beard's growing in, My skin's too soft to shave. I can't drink, but I can fight Only in uniform And when I think back a few years ago, Some of the guys I know Only 13 years or so Couldn't they, If left to some female prey, Have been fathers? The good Lord made it that way!
They call me a young man No need to tip toe I stand But in ten years, When the growing's stopped, When my heart and my skin are well broken in, When life's little gifts come wrapped in gray hair, Collected from the burdens of wear and tear, Sometimes crying when no one's around, Goofing off with friends and being a clown, While at the same time the world's going gray, Hoping as always to see a better day, I'll still be Just a boy |