When he was a man, my father would stand
I never saw him run
There wasn't anyone could make the man bend
And the strength of his will was the tool of his trade
And he did his work well
Till the powers that be took a liking to him
And they traded his body for a cold empty shell
Don't beat me down
Don't beat me down
I've got something to say
Don't you stand in my way
And don't beat me down

When I was a youth, I found the truth
In the eyes of a friend
There wasn't anyone could make the light dim
And we talked and we rambled and we gambled to win
And the learning was good
Till the powers that be to a liking to him
And they traded their fortunes for the sight of his blood

When I was a child my mother smiled
At the cradle she bought
For the little tot she held to her breast
And the song that she sang was an anthem to love
It was all that I heard
Till the powers that be took a liking to me
And they told me that love was a four-letter word

Don't beat me down
Don't beat me down
I've got one life to live
And that's all I can give
So don't beat me down

Now I've got a place, got a worried face
And the question in mind
Please let me find a reason somehow
Why some reap the harvest while other men die
And the joker runs wild
And if powers that be take a liking to us
Then we all must return to the ways of a child
We all must return to the ways of a child

So don't beat me down
Don't beat me down
I've got something to say
Don't you stand in my way
And don't beat me down
I've got one life to life
And that's all I can give
So don't beat me down
Don't beat me down
Don't beat me down