A Puzzlement

(D)When I was a boy, world was better spot.

What was so was so, what was not was not.

(F)Now I am a man, world have changed a lot.

Some things nearly so,

others nearly not.

There are (F)times I almost think I am not sure of what I absolutely (C7)know.

(C7)Very (F)often find confusion in conclusion I concluded long (C7sus)ago.

(C7)In my (F)head are many facts that,

as a (F7)student, I have studied to (Bb)procure.

(Bbm7)In my (F)head are many facts,

of which I wish I was more (Gm7)certain (C)I was (F6/9)sure.

What, for (Dm)instance, shall I say to him of (Bm7)women?

(Bbmaj7)Shall I (Dm)educate him on the ancient (B7)lines?

Shall I (Em)tell the boy, as far as he is (Cmaj7)able,

to (G)respect his wives and (Gm)love his (A7)concubines?

Shall I (Gm6)tell him ev'ryone is like the other,

and the better one of two is really (F)neither?

If I tell him this, I think he won't believe it,

and I (Db7)nearly think I (C7)don't believe it (F)either!

(F)When my father was a king he was a king who knew exactly what he (C7)knew,

(C7)and his (F)brain was not a thing forever swinging to and fro and fro and (C7sus)to.

(C7)Shall I (F)then be like my father and be (F7)willfully unmovable and (Bb)strong?

(Bbm7)Or is (F)better to be right?

Or am I right when I (Gm7)believe I (C)may be (F6/9)wrong?

Shall I (Dm)join with other nations in (Bm7)alliance?

(Bbmaj7)If (Dm)allies are weak, am I not best (B7)alone?

If (Em)allies are strong with power to (Cmaj7)protect me,

might they (G)not protect me (Gm)out of all I (A7)own?

Is a (Gm6)danger to be trusting one another.

One will seldom want to do what other (F)wishes,

but unless someday, somebody trust somebody,

there'll be (Db7)nothing left on (C7)earth excepting (F)fishes!

(F)When my There are (Gm7)does not (C)know is (G6)so.

(Gsus2)Oh!

(Gsus2)(D7sus)Sometimes I think that people going (Gsus2)mad!

Ah!

(Gsus2)(D7sus)Sometimes I think that people not so (E)bad.

But, no (Bm)matter what I think,

I must go on living life.

As a leader of my kingdom I must (Eb)go forth;