Be As You Are

Virginia Woolf and poetry No one seemed to notice me Being young was getting so old Cheap beer and cigarettes Life was like a movie set And I seemed to be given no role

But in times of trouble I can turn to my mother And I know that she gon' understand So at age 18 I cried to my mother And she told me, “young man”

“There are moments when you fall to the ground But you are stronger than you feel you are now You don't always have to speak so loud, no Just be as you are Life is not always a comfortable ride Everybody's got scars that they hide And everybody plays the fool sometimes, yeah Just be as you are”

They played me on the radio And everything was changing, so I thought I was all the way grown But I can still remember in that cold November When I realized I'm all alone

But in times of trouble I can turn to my mother And I know that she gon' understand So at age 22 I cried to my mother And she told me, “young man”

“There are moments when you fall to the ground But you are stronger than you feel you are now You don't always have to speak so loud, no Just be as you are It doesn't matter if you become some star Life is better when you open your heart You don't always have to act so hard, no Just be as you are”

If I'm speaking truthfully I'm not who I used to be And I know some people might laugh 'Cause my music doesn't sound the same And my head's no longer shaved I'm worried if I'm on the right path

But in times of trouble I can turn to my mother And I know that she gon' understand So at age 26 I spoke to my mother And she told me, “young man”

“There are moments when you fall to the ground But you are stronger than you feel you are now You don't always have to speak so loud, no Just be as you are It doesn't matter if you become some star Life is better when you open your heart You don't always have to act so hard, no Just be as you are”

Be as you are