Give a Man Enough Rope

As a kid I've tied some knots

I learned to make a loop

Spun it horizontal to the ground

Practiced lassoin' in the fenceposts

And most anything I found

Why I even roped my sisters if they dared to come around

This pastime was my solitary skill

And people asked " What will become of Will?"

(spoken)

And I told 'em

(sung)

Give a man enough rope

Give a man enough rope

And he can hang himself or not

That is the choice that he has got

He could wind up hangin' down from a tree

Or he could spin himself a life

That's what happened to me

Give a man enough rope

Give a man enough rope

Give a man enough rope

Give a man enough rope

You hand some guys a pile of dough

One spends it fast

One saves it slow

You make a choice

You make a choice

Up to you what you do

Up to you what you do

This act ain't much, but though it

I've met kings and queens and I've got to meet you

Everybody spins with different twist

So use elbow grease and just flick the wrist

If you want to aim for a great big "O"

Go for broke! Just let it go

Never let 'em see that there's effort there

You may sweat inside, but be debonair

If you go for tears and you go for jokes

Shrug it off! It's nothing, folks

Give a man enough rope

Give a man enough rope

Give a man enough rope

Give a man enough rope

It's good to set your sights up high

But don't expect pie in the sky

A guy might rush

A guy might rush

For that old pot of gold

For that old pot of gold

He may not reach the rainbow's end

Because, my friend, the world is round

Or so we are told

Or so we are told

A guy could choose to run a bank

A guy could choose to run a bank

Another lives to till the soil

Another lives to till the soil

Or practice law or violin

Or practice law or violin

Or maybe sell banana oil

Banana oil

One builds a barn, one writes a song

One builds a barn, one writes a song

One digs a ditch, one teaches school

One digs a ditch, one teaches school

But from the day I came along

I've always been a ropin' fool

He's just a ropin' fool

Give a man enough rope

Give a man enough rope

And he can get all tangled in the figure eights he tries to spin

But I've had luck

And my rope made me free

I've spun my fancy figures

Wrote my columns

Made my speeches

Loved my horses

Loved my fam'ly

Spun a lovely life

That's what happened to me

Spun his figures

Wrote his columns

Made his speeches

Loved his horses

Loved his fam'ly

Spun a lovely life

Give a man enough rope