Give a Man Enough Rope Songtext
von Troy Britton Johnson

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

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

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