Give a Man Enough Rope

As a kid I tied some knots
 I learned to make a loop
 Spun it horizontal to the ground
 Practiced lassoin' the fenceposts
 And most anything I found
 Why, 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
 Give a man enough rope
 Give a man enough rope
 You hand some guys a pile of dough
 One spends it fast
 One saves it slow
 You make a choice
 You make a choice
 Up to you what you do
 Up to you what you do
 This act ain't much, but through it
 I've met kings and queens and I've got to meet you
 Everybody spins a with different twist
 Some use elbow grease and just flick the wrist
 If you want to aim for a great big "O"
 Go for broke! Just let it go
 Never let 'em see that there's effort there
 You may sweat inside, but be debonair
 If you go for tears and you go for jokes
 Shrug it off! It's nothing, folks
 Give a man enough rope
 Give a man enough rope
 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
 A guy might rush
 A guy might rush
 For that old pot of gold
 For that old pot of gold
 He might not reach the rainbow's end
 Because, my friend, the world is round
 Or so we are told
 Or so we are told
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 A guy could choose to run a bank
 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
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 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've spun my fancy figures
 Wrote my columns
 Made my speeches
 Loved my horses
 Loved my fam'ly
 Spun a lovely life
 That's what happened to me
 Spun his figures
 Wrote his columns
 Made his speeches
 Loved his horses
 Loved his fam'ly
 Spun a lovely life
 Give a man enough rope