Ow Yeah, yeah When I was a young skinny boy, my mama said to me "The world out there is hard and dirty, mean as it wants to be I know there's gonna be times when you're down and out So listen now kid, listen now son, I'll tell you what it's all about" You gotta try to keep your head above the water That's what my mama told me You gotta try to keep a step ahead of time And even though you do some things you shouldn't ought to Shouldn't ought to If you love your brothers love will come back to you Love'll come back to you, love'll come back to you Love'll come back to you Lived my life in so many ways to find out who I am Time's approaching I really can say, truly I understand Got more livin' to do for myself To run along now, play along later, stay up by the shelf, sing it girls Gotta try to keep your head above the water Yes you do yes you do You gotta try to keep a step ahead of time Even though you do some things you shouldn't ought to If you love your sisters, love will come back to you Love'll come back to you Love'll come back to you All the world is turnin' slow, slowly it will die But that is something I never will see, I don't know why Tryin' to take the world the best I can Write a bit now, love a bit later, stand up like a man, hey, hey Gotta try to keep your head above the water Yes you do, yes you do, yes you do Gotta try to keep a step ahead of time Even though you do some things you shouldn't ought to Love your brothers and sisters, love'll come back to you Love'll come back to you Love'll come back to you Love'll come back to you Love'll come back to you Love'll come back to you ...