Rules of the Schoolyard

Verse 1
I learned my lessons on a cracked-up street,
Scuffed-up boots and holes in my feet.
Nobody cared if you laughed or cried,
You earned your place, or you stepped aside.

Chorus
Those are the rules of the schoolyard, son,
Life don’t wait for anyone.
Stand your ground when the trouble calls,
Sometimes you fly, sometimes you fall.
Nobody’s coming to pull your card,
That’s just the rules… of the schoolyard.

Verse 2
Big boys talked with their fists held high,
Little boys learned not to ask why.
A bloody nose was the price you paid,
For every promise that fear once made.

Chorus
Those are the rules of the schoolyard, son,
Life don’t wait for anyone.
Stand your ground when the trouble calls,
Sometimes you fly, sometimes you fall.
Nobody’s coming to pull your card,
That’s just the rules… of the schoolyard.

Bridge
Now I’m older with silver hair,
Still see that playground everywhere.
Different faces, a different game,
Funny how the rules stay the same.

Verse 3
Boss man’s smiling with a sharpened grin,
Same old wolves in a nicer skin.
You keep your word, you pay your dues,
You win some days, you mostly lose.

Final Chorus
Those are the rules of the schoolyard, son,
Life don’t wait for anyone.
Hold your head when the world gets hard,
Carry your scars like a calling card.
Every wrinkle, every scar,
Started back in that schoolyard.
Yeah… those were the rules…
Of the schoolyard.