Janis Ian Honor Them All Lyrics

THEY SAY THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS
BUT YOU CAN'T CHOOSE YOUR FAMILY
AND IT'S A LUCKY MAN WHO ENDS UP IN GOOD COMPANY
I'VE DONE MY SHARE OF LOOKING BACK
REGRET'S MY MIDDLE NAME
BUT THE TIME GOES BY SO FAST
YOU TURN AROUND, TOMORROW'S PASSED
AND THE ONES YOU LOVE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME

SO WHY DON'T YOU HONOR YOUR FATHER
HONOR YOUR MOTHER
HONOR YOURSELF ABOVE ALL
HONOR THE GIFTS
YOU BRING ONE ANOTHER
EACH TIME YOU RISE OR YOU FALL
HONOR THEM ALL

THERE'S NOT A FAMILY ON THIS EARTH
DOESN'T SLING A LITTLE MUD
HANDS GET WEARY, HEARTS GET HURT
WE BOW TO THE FLESH AND BLOOD
OH, PEOPLE CAN BE CRUEL SOMETIMES
IT LEAVES A LASTING SCAR
BUT WHEN YOU PUT IT TO THE TEST YOU USUALLY FIND THEY'VE DONE THEIR BEST
AND AS BAD AS THAT MAY BE
IT'S TURNED YOU INTO WHO YOU ARE

SO WHY DON'T YOU HONOR YOUR FATHER
HONOR YOUR MOTHER
HONOR YOURSELF ABOVE ALL
HONOR THE GIFTS
YOU BRING ONE ANOTHER
EACH TIME YOU RISE OR YOU FALL
HONOR THEM ALL

I HAVE THREE NEPHEWS, ALL MY CHILDREN
AND MY MEMORIES
IF THERE'S ONE THING I WOULD ASK
IT'S THAT THEY KEEP ALIVE THE PAST
SO THE FUTURE DOESN'T HAVE TO END WITH ME

I WANT THEM TO HONOR THEIR FATHER
HONOR THEIR MOTHER
HONOR THEMSELVES ABOVE ALL
HONOR THE GIFTS
THEY BRING ONE ANOTHER
EACH TIME THEY RISE OR THEY FALL
HONOR THEM ALL
HONOR THEM ALL