Could a been my grandpa, could a been my preacher
Could a been my third grade history teacher
Somebody said it and I'll never forget it

Might a been my daddy, might a been my mama
Might a been Dolly Parton or the Dalai Lama
They were words to the wise
And they hit me right between the eyes

If you wanna write a song, better get a guitar
If you wanna win Dayton, better get you a car
If you wanna be Picasso, better get you some paint

Son, you are what you do
And if you don't, then you ain't

Could a been a stranger, could a been a friend
Could a been a commentator on CNN
Talkin' through my TV directly to me

Might a been my butcher, might a been my baker
Might a been an outta work
Undertaker down at the Superette
Who gave me this reality check

If you wanna go to Heaven, you better go to church
If you wanna promotion, you better get to work
If you wanna catch the big one, better get you some bait

Yeah, you are what you do
And if you don't then you ain't

If you want an education, you better stay in school
Get some sunglasses if you wanna be cool
Talk to Mother Teresa if you wanna be a saint

Yeah, you are what you do
And if you don't, then you ain't

Yeah, you are what you do
And if you don't then you ain't