Please don't mistake me or try to make me
A shadow of anybody else
Oh, I'm not the him or her you think I am
Man, I'm tryin' hard to be myself
Oh, society's goal is to be part of the whole
It may sound good to you, not to me
Oh, just let me be, let me be
To think like I want to
Let me be, let me be
That's all I ask of you
I am what I am
And that's all I ever can be
Don't try to plan me or understand me
I can't stand to be understood
I can never give in to or ever live up to
Bein' like you think I should
I've got some inner need which I'm tryin' to heed
I can't take hand-me-down destinies
Oh, just let me be, let me be
To feel like I want to
Let me be, let me be
That's all I ask of you
I am what I am
And that's all I ever can be
Don't try to change me or rearrange me
To satisfy the selfishness in you
Oh, I'm not a piece of clay to mold to your moods each day
And I'm not a pawn to be told how to move
I'm sorry, I'm not the fool you thought would play by your rules
But to each his own philosophy
Oh, just let me be, let me be
To think like I want to
Let me be, let me be
That's all I ask of you
I am what I am
And that's all I ever can be
