Don't wade in muddy water if you can't swim The snags and holes make chances slim If you can swim don't wade at all Why stub your toe, why risk a fall? The water's clear And the bottom sand To swim the sea To walk the land The Great design The Master plan To be a Man If you give a boy just half a chance He might become just half a Man If you stunt his growth and keep him small He'll become no Man at all But give him room And let him go The land is good And a Man must grow The Great design The master plan To be a Man. Well here's that ladder now Come let's climb The first rung it's yours The rest is mine Well I can climb until I reach the top You must climb one rung they say And then must stop But my arms have power And my heart has pride With this bottom rung I'm not satisfied Well I'll climb up Or I'll shake you down I fear no fall I'm on the ground The Great design The Master plan It's Nature's law It's God's command One must be free on sea and land To be a man To be a man To be a man