Ladies and gentlemen,
this next song is not really a pop song
in as much as it didn't
make the top 20
or anything like that,
but it was a song written for me,
I'm very happy to say, by one
gentleman
whose name you've already heard,
Mr Don Black,
and his partner Mr Vic Lewis.
It's not, as I say, a pop song,
it's more a soliloquy,
in as much as that it tells
the story of a man
who suddenly realizes
that he's not as young as
he used to be.
It's called very simply,
When You Become a Man.
When you
become a man,
the world is eager to tell you so.
Although those days of climbing trees
and ABCs don't seem so long ago
Swing, swing up to the sky
Mind the sun, don't get in your eye
Wash your hands, it's time for bed
Shoot the bad man, bang,
he's dead
When you become a man
You're just a boy who
wants bigger toys
Your toys are things like pretty girls,
teeth like pearls,
instead of toy cowboys.
Get up, daddy, play with the ball.
Please, may I walk on the wall.
Let me jump, I know that I can
But when will I become a man?
But when you're a man,
you must fight for success
It doesn't come easy,
you have to confess
You ask yourself why, what is it all for?
Until you fall in love,
you must fight even more
When you become a man,
those bachelor days soon hurry by
Yes, they fly those days of taking hearts
And breaking hearts
With a very fast good -bye
Come to me, baby,
turn down the light
You're gonna learn the meaning
of sin tonight
Since I've met you,
I've never been the same
By the way,
what's your second name?
When you become a man,
you'll want a son named after you.
So you've got to take a wife,
an d then build a life,
before your days are through.
Watch the kids,
they're in a mess.
Look at his feet,
just look at the dress.
And why do they scream an
d fight all day through?
When I was a kid.
When I was a kid,
I was just like them, too.
But when you become a man,
you'll lead the way for them
to follow you.
You'll try to make
their dreams come true
And you will want to do all that
youcan
When you be come
Amen.