If ever I have a son in life, I'll call him in one day
Sit him down upon my knee and here is what I'll say

You might lose your lover, people do sometime
Oh, but it won't make sense for you to sit around cryin'
Son, don't you know that when you fall in love
Sometimes, you're gonna have the blues
Well it may take years, but you're gonna she'd some tears
'Cause everybody's got to pay some dues, now, now
Everybody's got to pay some dues

You might have money, yeah, and a big fine car
It don't matter what you look like, no, no it don't matter who you are
Son, don't you know you can't win all the time
Sometime you're gonna have to lose
Just as long as you live, you got to take as well as give
'Cause everybody's got to pay some dues, now, now
Everybody's got to pay some dues

Whoa whoa whoa
(Whoa whoa whoa)
Yeah yeah yeah
(Yeah yeah yeah)
Yeah hea hea hea hea hea
(Yeah hea hea hea hea hea)
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
(Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)

[Instrumental break]

Well now, everybody's got to pay some dues, yeah don't you know it now,
Everybody's got to pay some dues

Make no mistakes now son about the things I told you
I don't want you to think, yeah yeah, that I'm tryin' to scold you
Son because I know you got to fall in love sometime
Be careful who you choose
'Cause it's sure my son before your life is done
You'll find that everybody's got to pay some dues, yeah don't you know it now,
Everybody's got to pay some dues

([repeated in background to fade]
Dues, got to pay some dues, got to pay some dues)

I've got to pay, he's got to pay
You've got to pay and she's got to pay
No matter what you do, I say
There is gonna come a day
When you gonna have to pay
Cain't nobody get away from dues
Yeah yeah yeah now