Tom: G
G C G C G C G D
[Verse 1]
G Em
I raised my son the Eighties way
C D
I never let him rest a day
C D G C G D
I said, "Wasting time can only lead to losing
G Em
When you're a man you'll be my son
C D
And I've never lost, I’ve always won
C D G C G
There are those who serve and those who do the choosing"
[Chorus]
Em
And I said, "Always fight, don't lose face
C
Always lead, never chase
A
No one knows the second place
D C D
So hurt and bleed, but win the race"
[Verse 2]
G Em
He was number one in every school
C D
He couldn't stand a wimp or fool
C D G C G D
Or anyone who dribble-drooled of caring
G Em
And he won the prizes, he won the fame
C D
Till everybody knew his name
C D G C G F
And they loved him for his devil-may-care daring
[Verse 3]
G Em
And I liked his taste, I liked his style
C D
And I knew that in a little while
C D G C G D
He'd begin to use his charm and guile to make it
G Em
He'd be the boss man of this town
C D
He’d let nobody push him down
C D G C G
He'd be the hardest, and the toughest and he'd take it
[Chorus]
Em
And I said, "Always fight, don't lose face
C
Always lead, never chase
A
No one knows the second place
D C D
So hurt and bleed, but win the race"
[Verse 4]
G Em
So when he passed the big exam
C D
I was proud he came, the Big I Am
C D G C G D
I could see he didn't give a damn who thought it
G Em
And I said it’s time you had your wheels
C D
So you can see how power feels
C D G C G
So I found the best and the fastest, and I bought it
[Verse 5]
C
In his sports car and designer jeans
G Em
He played the king of all the teens
Am C D G D C
And he soon found out, money means, best label
G Em
And the girls he had wore sweet perfume
C D
Their scent still lingered in his room
C D G C G
In the morning, he'd just smile across the table
[Instrumental]
Em C A D G D G C
[Verse 6]
G Em
Then last week in a country lane
C D
In darkness and in pouring rain
C D G C G D
A young kid must have been insane to try him
G Em
In a clapped out Ford with white-walled tyres
C D
His chiming horn lit my son's fires
C D G C G
As he flashed his beams and tried to roar on by him
[Verse 7]
C
And like the man I knew he'd be
G Em
My son chose to disagree
Am C D G D C
And they raced together fast to see who'd weaken
G Em
And just as my son pulled ahead
C D
A white-walled tyre lost its tread
C D G C G
And the two cars locked as flames became their beacon
[Chorus]
Em
And I said, "Always fight, don't lose face
C
Always lead, never chase
A
No one knows the second place
D C D
So hurt and bleed, but win the race____"
[Verse 8]
G Em
I raised my son the Eighties way
C D
I never let him rest a day
C D G C G D
I said, "Wasting time can only lead to losing
G Em
When you're a man you'll be my son
C D
And I've never lost, I’ve always won
C D G C G
There are those who serve and those who do the choosing"
C D G C G
I know I was right to make him so afraid of losing
C D G
Because there are those who serve and those who do the choosing
