Well, I grew up a little rough,
sometimes.
When I was a kid
hardly ever had a dime.
And I learned some things
that a kid should never know,
and those things weren't learned
in church, or a picture show.
And I never told no one what I'd done,
and I'm not real proud of what I've done
just to survive.
Yes, just to get by.
I wasn't very big, back then.
Got picked on, and beat up, now and then.
And old cop watched it happen one day,
then he gave me some advice when they went away.
He said to get a roll of nickels,
wrap it up real tight,
with that old black friction tape,
and keep it in your pocket.
When things look like they might come down on you,
just wrap your hand around that roll,
and take it to 'em!
You see, it's like having a blackjack in your hand.
And he smiled, and I began to understand.
That no matter how you try,
to be nice, and just get by,
some fool is gonna try to take you down.
And if you're tired of bein' someone else's clown,
just wrap your hand around that roll,
and take it to 'em!
And if they start to get back up,
do it again!
Sometimes it's the hardest thing to learn...
how to be angry enough to just get by.
How to be angry enough just to get by.

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