Michael Kahn

Don’t Give Up The Fight

Came into town was summer it was hot I was 18

Looking for a job on that great Alaska pipe

Nobody was hiring and my landlord he was mean

Had a beer for breakfast man I think you know the type

 

Someone said they needed firemen but the forests never fired

Hitched a ride to Seward to see what could be seen

But the cannery said beat it and my permit had expired

Alaska’s for Alaskans and boy are you ever green

 

You gotta be cool… extremely

Don’t do anything your judgement says ain’t right

You gotta be a fool… supremely

Take a risk make that plunge into the night

Don’t give up the fight

 

Made my way to Israel caught a flight caught a dream

I saw men doing anything they put their mind to do

Hooked up with a pretty girl she was pushing 17

I was older wiser soon in love through and through

 

Not a whole lot later I was a soldier on the front

The battle lines were drawn it was us or it was them

You may not be from here my friend so allow me to be blunt

They will strip your limbs like branches leave you hanging by a stem

 

Chorus

 

Don’t be anything you can’t be

Don’t be right

Don’t take on anything you can’t see

But when you can see

And you’ve got him in your site

Then it’s time to fight

 

Met a woman with 3 earrings two for show and one for fun

She took me for a ride on the dark side of the moon

I told her when we landed now I’d like to see the sun

She said boy you’ll be lucky if you can stay awake til noon

 

Met another took my money from half the world away

Pretended she was something that he certainly was not

Like a fool I believed said I’m in love and I would pay

What I got was a lesson what he got was a lot

 

Chorus

 

I ain’t getting any younger & my hair is going

I got spots on my fingers I got crowns on my teeth

I live 20 miles from nowhere but the wine it is a-flowing

I worry less about the roof worry more bout what’s beneath

 

I suppose you gotta slow down guess you gotta take your licks

You gotta put the hoe down start counting all you’ve lost

The end will be a show-down wanna throw a few more kicks

I’ll be leaving with a profit but who knows what was the cost

 

Chorus