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You Can't Always Have It Both Ways - Ver 2

from Maxims, Mantras & Moral Tales by Sam Steffen

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lyrics

You can’t be a locksmith if you don’t got keys
You can’t be a beekeeper if you ain’t got bees
And you can’t be a doctor if you don’t get your degrees
It doesn’t matter what your parents say
You can’t always have it both ways

You can’t sound the alarm if there ain’t no bell
You can’t tell the story if there’s no story to tell
You can’t have your cake and eat it as well
It doesn’t matter what the billboards say
You can’t always have it both ways

You can’t take it easy if you’re takin it fast
You can’t use it up and expect it to last
You can’t see the future if you’re living in the past
It doesn’t matter what the calendars say
You can’t always have it both ways

You can shop for products from the comfort of your home
Hear all about the world outside on your mobile telephone
But you can’t really be a part of it if you’re always alone
No you can’t—no you can’t

You can’t be a boxer if you can’t take a punch
You can’t solve no mystery if you got no hunch
You can’t expect me to work without a break for lunch
I don’t care what the bosses say
You can’t always have it both ways

You can’t tie a strong knot if you got weak rope
You can’t have lasting love without faith and hope
I’s in love with a woman, she’s married to some dope—
It don’t matter what your vows may say
You can’t always get it both ways

You can’t make a difference if you don’t go and try
You can’t fulfill demand if you got no supply
You can’t give people guns and expect no one to die

You can’t pour a blind cup and not expect it to spill
You can’t withhold supply and expect demands to be filled
You can’t give people guns and expect no one to get killed
It doesn’t matter what the laws may say
You can’t always have it both ways
You can believe everything that you hear bout on the news
Believe that folks is evil cause it’s the life they choose
But you can’t never know a person til you’ve walked round in his shoes
No you can’t—no you can’t

From where he’s been, you can’t tell where a man’s headin
From what he says you can’t tell at what he’s gettin
and you can’t be a rich man and get into heaven
It doesn’t matter what your paystubs say
You can’t always have it both ways

You can’t be sure if you sound so hesitant
You can’t remember seeing something that’s without precedent
You can’t be an idiot and run for president
Then again…lets see what the papers say
After all, this is the USA
Anybody can be king for just a day
Sometimes, I guess, you can have it both ways

credits

from Maxims, Mantras & Moral Tales, released October 3, 2021

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Sam Steffen Boise, Idaho

Sam Steffen is a Pennsylvania-bred, Boise-based singer-songwriter whose songs are the torch-wood for a new generation of folk music that has learned from the best stuff in the tradition and aims in spite of everything to keep the human spirit alive and kicking. A versatile musician and skilled finger-picker, Sam is at heart a story-teller, and a prolific one. ... more

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