If - Intellectual

[Verse 1]

If you can keep your head while all about you

People are losing theirs and blaming you

If you can trust yourself when everybody doubts you

And make allowance for their doubting too

If you can wait and not get tired of waiting

And when lied about, stand tall, don't deal in lies

And when hated, don't give in to hating back

Don't need to look so good, don't need to talk too wise

If you can dream and not make dreams your master

If you can think and not make intellect your game

If you can meet with triumph and disaster

And treat those two imposters just the same

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve you after all of them are gone

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Nothing but the will that's telling you to hold on, hold on

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted and misconstrued by some smug fool

Or watch your life's work torn apart and broken down

And still stoop to build again with worn-out tools

If you can draw a crowd and keep your virtue

Or walk with kings and keep the common touch

If neither enemies nor loving friends can hurt you

If everybody counts with you but none too much

If you can fill the journey of a minute

With sixty seconds' worth of wonder and delight

Then the earth is yours and everything that's in it

But more than that, I know you'll be alright, you'll be alright

'Cause you've got the fight, you've got the insight

You've got the fight, you've got the insight