In Spite of Spite

You gave me the world when I was twelve years old

And I learned to carry that load

All I asked in return, Lord, was not a long and winding road

I took some teasing when I was young

You know them kids, they threw sticks and stones

I had to learn to bite my tongue

'Cause you said they could never know

Sometimes I wanna smoke and play and oh I

I wanna stay out all night

Well, I get tempted and I get tired

Of being and doing everything right

Well, life's not about the way you live

It's what you know to be right

So just keep on crying and learning and trying

To love one another in spite of spite

To love one another in spite of spite

We should have told them the truth by now, Lord

They won't believe my ways

I'm just a man, I have my ups and downs

I have my share of bad days

But I ain't friends with Billy Graham

And you can't find me on the telephone

You probably don't recognize me, people

I ain't on them damn TV shows

Sometimes I wanna smoke and play and oh I

I wanna stay out all night

Well, I get tempted and I get tired

Of being and doing everything right

Well, life's not about the way you live

It's what you know to be right

Just keep on crying and learning and trying

To love one another in spite of spite

To love one another, to love one another

Oh, to love one another in spite of spite