Lyrics: Every Man

When I first heard seanan_mcguire's "Wicked Girls" in a filk circle at OVFF last year, it completely blew me away. Still can't get it out of my head.

I know the song isn't for, or about, boys, but I felt like there was something rooted in similar emotions, and the same melody, that could've been. Below is the best I've been able to do with that.

 

(To the tune of "Wicked Girls", by Seanan McGuire)


Every Man

Clark was a farm boy who carried whatever they gave him;
They taught him some truth and some justice and told him to save them.
He lived all alone, he was quiet and kind,
But he kept every word of his fathers in mind.
We said he was more of a man than there ever could be
'Cause he saved every day, and the bad guys'd never stay free.

James was an orphan, alone since the age of eleven,
But he always did fine on his own: he was lucky as seven.
He fought a cold war with a license to kill
And won with his charm and his wits and his will,
But he learned he could never let anyone else on his side
When the day that he married his love was the day that she died.

Man of tomorrow or man with no name,
Kings on the mountain, you all are the same,
Holding the power to cheat at the game
And keep the rest playing along.
But up and away is alone in the sky.
Heroes should help us to learn how to fly,
Building foundations to hold the world high
With every man making us strong.

He didn't care much for the law, but he followed a code.
In money or blood, he made wicked men pay what they owed.
He killed off the danger, but never did say
Just what we should call him as he rode away
From the street where the townspeople hide, and the deputies run,
And the price of the peace is the life of a man with a gun.

Callahan hated the system, but trusted his aim.
The people he shot were all punks who we knew we could blame.
His partners were brave, but they didn't last long,
Blown up or gunned down so that he could go on,
‘Cause the job was to kill, or to die, or get out of the way,
And if you couldn't get justice, revenge'd still make a man's day.

Man of tomorrow or man with no name,
Kings on the mountain, you all are the same,
Holding the power to cheat at the game
And keep the rest playing along.
But up and away is alone in the sky.
Heroes should help us to learn how to fly,
Building foundations to hold the world high
with every man making us strong.

Chris teaches games that show the kids how to change rules.
Tony makes settings to show off a gemcutter’s jewels.
Grafton and Tom build our allies and trust,
And none of us minds wicked girls saving us.
Our powers aren't super, just human, but real,
And standing together, we're stronger than steel.

So we will play hard, but we will play fair,
And know we’re not weak for deciding to care.
Assembled away from the chains of command,
We'll share and we'll follow our visions and plans.
And when there’s a threat to the friends we have made
A thousand defenders will come to their aid
And stay to help fix what went wrong,
with no one the savior, but every one brave,
And every man making us strong.