Ay what’s a man?
What’s a man?
If he were six feet deep
Could he ever understand?
Ay what’s a man?
Is he a fake?
So cry me out a river
I’ll go swimmin’ in the lake

I met my Carson matey
He told me he’s a girl
Reintroduced as Laney
It threw me for a whirl
But throw away excuses
She has no agency
And nothing really changed
She’s afraid in decency

What’s a man?
Ay what’s a man?
These rushing expectations
When life is as you planned
Oh, what’s a man?
A chin held high?
If he were second place
Then he’s still my kind of guy

So on the rowdy highway
I met my Thomas pal
He caught me on a walk and there
He offered with a howl
“Come dirty up my shotgun”
He offered me a seat
But I feel so much stronger
Sturdy earth beneath my feet

Oh, what’s a man?
What’s a man?
You’ll help your fellow stranger
But never take a friend
What’s a man?
What is he worth?
He’s more than meets the eye
But he’s equal at his birth

And when I met my father
Through Walkers at the bar
He took a liking to me
Threw dollars in my jar
He grumbled to me, “Sonny,
Wish I had a son like you.”
I see why mother left him
He hasn’t got a clue

What’s a man?
What’s a man?
If history remembers
He wouldn’t give a damn
But what’s a man
When sure he does?
It sounds to me arbitrary
So give a fool a hand