Don't Beat Me Down - Gordon Lightfoot

When he was a man, my father would stand

I never saw him run

There wasn’t anyone could make the man bend

And the strength of his will was the tool of his trade

And he did his work well

Till the powers that be took a liking to him

And they traded his body for a cold empty shell

Don’t beat me down

Don’t beat me down

I’ve got something to say

Don’t you stand in my way

And don’t beat me down

When I was a youth, I found the truth

In the eyes of a friend

There wasn’t anyone could make the light dim

And we talked and we rambled and we gambled to win

And the learning was good

Till the powers that be to a liking to him

And they traded their fortunes for the sight of his blood

When I was a child my mother smiled

At the cradle she bought

For the little tot she held to her breast

And the song that she sang was an anthem to love

It was all that I heard

Till the powers that be took a liking to me

And they told me that love was a four-letter word

Don’t beat me down

Don’t beat me down

I’ve got one life to live

And that’s all I can give

So don’t beat me down

Now I’ve got a place, got a worried face

And the question in mind

Please let me find a reason somehow

Why some reap the harvest while other men die

And the joker runs wild

And if powers that be take a liking to us

Then we all must return to the ways of a child

We all must return to the ways of a child

So don’t beat me down

Don’t beat me down

I’ve got something to say

Don’t you stand in my way

And don’t beat me down

I’ve got one life to life

And that’s all I can give

So don’t beat me down

Don’t beat me down

Don’t beat me down