Called up a friend the other day
Just to see what kinda words he'd say
Said 'I just met a man down here -- his girlfriend don't like you'
Said 'Well, gimmie a number and her address and I'll sincerely do my best to avoid her the next time I'm passin' through.'
I've never been much for followin' rules
I always go out and act a fool
And somethin' bad would happen by and by
Can't say I'm always proud of myself,
But I don't wish I was somebody else
In fact, I'd rather be me than you
But a lot of people don't like me
Not my music, I mean personally
They wanna tell how to act and what to say
Would you rather be an orphan or a slave?
Would you rather be an orphan or a slave?
Went to a party in the middle of the night
I was fallin' up the stairs and that's alright
I pictured the whole place in flames and it made me smile
Wonder why I thought these terrible things
And the voice in my head heard the telephone ring
Picked up and said 'We'd been wondering for a while'
All these people gather round
My heart goes backwards, my head drops down
I hear my voice say things I told it not to
Don't know who it's directed at
Or why I chose to say something like that
And now what'd I truly plan to do
But a lot of people don't like me
Not my music, I mean personally
They wanna tell how to act and what to say
Would you rather be an orphan or a slave?
Would you rather be an orphan or a slave?
And sometimes I was under the gun,
And when I was I tended to run
It was important, but it wasn't worth dyin' for
Someone said 'He who fights and runs awake and avoids gettin' killed another day
So I've made a point of every window and every door
Walked into walls, slept in the dirt
I've been punched in the face and I admit that it hurt
And I had enemies that I called my friends
It doesn't matter if I get low down
I'm the one riddin', I'm the hero right now
And all I gotta do is use my imagination
But a lot of people don't like me
Not my music, I mean personally
They wanna tell how to act and what to say
Would you rather be an orphan or a slave?
Would you rather be an orphan or a slave?
Would you rather be an orphan or a slave?