As a kid I tied
Some knots
I learned to
Make a loop
Spun it horizontal
To the ground
Practiced lassoing
The fence posts
And 'most anything
I found
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?''
And I told 'em...
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
You hand two guys
A pile of dough
One spends it fast
One saves it slow
You make a choice
Up to you
What you do
This act ain't much
But through it
I've met
Kings and Queens
And I got to
Meet you
Everybody spins
With a different twist
Some use elbow
Grease and just flick
The wrist
If you want to
Aim for that
Great big ''O''
Go for broke
Just let her go!
Never let 'em see
That there's effort
There
You may sweat inside
But be debonair
If you go for tears
Or you go for jokes
Shrug it off
It's nothing, folks
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
I'll guide my brush
Toward that
Old pile of gold
We might not reach
The rainbow's end
Because my friend
The world is round
Or so we are told...
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 spun my
Fancy figures
Roped my columns
Made my speeches
Loved my horses
Loved my family
Spun a lovely ride
That's what happened
To me...
Give a man
Enough rope!