You’ve Got to Stand for Something
Now daddy didn’t like trouble, but if it came along
Everyone that knew him knew which side that he’d be on
He never was a hero, or this county’s shinin’ light
But you could always find him standing up
For what he thought was right
CHORUS:
He’d say “You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything
You’ve got to be your own man not a puppet on a string
Never compromise what’s right and uphold your family name
You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything”
Now we might have been better off or owned a bigger house
If daddy had done more givin’ in or a little more backing down
But we always had plenty, just living his advice
Whatever you do today you’ll have to sleep with tonight
CHORUS
BRIDGE:
Now I know that things are different than they were in daddy’s day
But I still believe what makes a man really hasn’t changed
CHORUS
Meet Our Authors
Jack Canfield is the co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, which Time magazine has called “the publishing phenomenon of the decade.” Jack is also the co-author of many other bestselling books.
Jack is the CEO of the Canfield Training Group in Santa Barbara, California, and founder of the Foundation for Self-Esteem in Culver City, California. He has conducted intensive personal and professional development seminars on the principles of success for more than a million people in twenty-three countries, has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at more than 1,000 corporations, universities, professional conferences and conventions, and has been seen by millions more on national television shows.
Jack has received many awards and honors, including three honorary doctorates and a Guinness World Records Certificate for having seven books from the Chicken Soup for the Soul series appearing on the New York Times bestseller list on May 24, 1998.
You can reach Jack at www.jackcanfield.com.
Mark Victor Hansen is the co-founder of Chicken Soup for the Soul, along with Jack Canfield. He is a sought-after keynote speaker, bestselling author, and marketing maven. Mark’s powerful messages of possibility, opportunity, and action have created powerful change in thousands of organizations and millions of individuals worldwide.
Mark is a prolific writer with many bestselling books in addition to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Mark has had a profound influence in the field of human potential through his library of audios, videos, and articles in the areas of big thinking, sales achievement, wealth building, publishing success, and personal and professional development. He is also the founder of the MEGA Seminar Series.
Mark has received numerous awards that honor his entrepreneurial spirit, philanthropic heart, and business acumen. He is a lifetime member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans.
You can reach Mark at www.markvictorhansen.com.
Randy Rudder has been an arts and entertainment journalist in Nashville for over 20 years. He has an MFA in creative nonfiction writing from the University of Memphis, an MA in literature from Tennessee State University, and a BA in communications from Mount Union College (Ohio). For 18 years, he also taught literature, journalism, and composition at Nashville State Community College, Tennessee State University, and Aquinas College in Nashville.
He has written arts and entertainment features for a variety of academic and popular culture publications, including Southern Cultures (University of North Carolina), Southern Crossroads (Mercer University Press), The Pinch (University of Memphis), The Washington Post, Country Weekly, Bluegrass Unlimited, American Profile, Nashville Lifestyles, The Writer, Script magazine, and others.
In 2007, Randy compiled the music anthology, The Country Music Reader with Rosanne Cash. That year, he also received the Tennessee Arts Commission Fellowship for Creative Nonfiction. From 2008 to 2010, he worked as a writer/producer for the Christian Broadcasting Network’ s Nashville office, and is currently co-producing a documentary on the history of The Farm, an intentional community in Summertown, Tennessee founded by San Francisco hippies in 1971.
He lives in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, near Nashville, with his wife Clare and daughter Abigail. He loves hiking in the Smoky Mountains, listening to country and bluegrass music, and hearing songwriters tell about the stories behind their songs.
Ken Kragen’s career transcends the music and entertainment industries. A graduate of Harvard Business School, he has successfully managed some of the world’s most important entertainers, including Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie, Trisha Yearwood, Travis Tritt, Olivia Newton-John, The Bee Gees. During the past few years he has devoted an increasing amount of his time to writing, teaching and consulting work for leading corporations and non-profits.
His belief that “it’s much easier to do the impossible than the ordinary” has enabled him to organize many historic humanitarian projects including We are the World, Hands Across America, and Netaid. He also played an important role in the original LiveAid and, with his friend Quincy Jones, the 1992 Presidential Inauguration. For this work, Mr. Kragen was honored with the United Nations Peace Medal.
He is the only individual ever elected President of both the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music. He received the International Citizen’s Award from the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles and has also earned two MTV Awards, an American Music Award, several Emmy nominations and Manager of the Year Award from the Conference of Personal Managers.
During his career Mr. Kragen has produced a variety of film and television projects, ranging from the groundbreaking Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour on CBS to Kenny Rogers’ Gambler movies, and numerous series, mini-series and films.
Ken Kragen is the author of the best-selling book Life is a Contact Sport.
Song Lyric Copyrights
Used by permission. All Rights Reserved.
16th Avenue
Lyrics and Music by Thom Schuyler
©1982 Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc.
All-American Boy
Lyrics and Music by Bobby Bare
©1959 Bobby Bare. Dream City Music.
Almost Home
Lyrics and Music by Craig Morgan and Kerry Kurt Phillips
©2003 MAGIC MUSTANG MUSIC INC.; TRIPLE SHOES MUSIC UNIVERSAL MUSIC-ZTUNES, LLC.
American Honey
Lyrics and Music by Hillary Lindsey, Shane Stevens, Cary Ryan Barlowe
©2009 BUMMERMEN MUSIC; CASTLE BOUND MUSIC; HANNA BEA SONGS.
American Made
Lyrics and Music by Pat McManus and Bob DiPiero
©1983 COMBINE MUSIC CORP./MUSIC CITY MUSIC/EMI MUSIC, INC.
American Saturday Night
Lyrics and Music by Brad Paisley, Ashley Gorley, and Kelley Lovelace
©2009 DIDN’T HAVE TO BE MUSIC (EMI APRIL MUSIC, INC.); TAPEROOM MUSIC/MUSIC OF WINDSWEPT/ BUG MUSIC INC.; NEW SEAGAYLE MUSIC (PLAY FAIR CHILD MUSIC); SONGS OF SOUTHSIDE INDEPENDENT MUSIC (RUMINATING MUSIC, WIXEN MUSIC PUB. INC.)
Back When We Were Beautiful
Lyrics and Music by Matraca Berg
©1997 SONGS OF UNIVERSAL, INC.; EMI LONGITUDE MUSIC (EMI MUSIC, INC.)
Believe
Lyrics and Music by Craig Wiseman and Ronnie Dunn
©2004 BIG LOUD SHIRT/BIG LOUD BUCKS; SHOWBILLY MUSIC (SONY/ATV/ TREE MUSIC PUBLISHING).
Bobbie Ann Mason
Lyrics and Music by Mark D. Sanders
©1995 UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP; WARNER CHAPPEL MUSIC, INC.
By the Time I Get to Phoenix
Lyrics and Music by Jimmy Webb
©1967 EMI SOSAHA MUSIC INC.; SONGS OF LASTRADA.
Can’t Be Really Gone
Lyrics and Music by Gary Burr
©1995 UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP
.
Coward of the County
Lyrics and Music by Billy Edd Wheeler and Roger Bowling
©1979 UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP.
Delta Dawn
Lyrics and Music by Alex Harvey and Larry Collins
©1972 EMI APRIL MUSC, INC. (EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING)
Desperados Waiting for a Train
Lyrics and Music by Guy Clark
©1983 WORLD SONG PUBLISHING INC.; WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC, INC.
D-I-V-O-R-C-E
Lyrics and Music by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman
©1969 SONY/ATV/TREE MUSICPUBLISHING
Everlasting Love
Lyrics and Music by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden
©1967 EMI BLACKWOOD MUSIC GROUP, INC.; RISING SONS MUSIC, INC.
Everything Is Beautiful
Lyrics and Music by Ray Stevens
©1970 AHAB MUSIC, INC.
Gentle on My Mind
Lyrics and Music by John Hartford
©1966 SONY/ATV SONGS LLC; GLASER SP ACCT
Ghost in This House
Lyrics and Music by Hugh Prestwood
©1990 UNIVERSAL MUSIC.
Golden Ring
Lyrics and Music by Bobby Braddock and Rafe Van Hoy
©1979 SONY/ATV/TREE MUSIC PUBLISHING.
Gone Country
Lyrics and Music by Robert Lee McDill
©1994 RANGER BOB MUSIC/UNIVERSAL POLYGRAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING INC
Good Ole Boys Like Me
Lyrics and Music by Robert Lee McDill
©1979 RANGER BOB MUSIC/UNIVERSAL POLYGRAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING INC.
Green, Green Grass of Home
Lyrics and Music by Claude (Curly) Putman
©1965 SONY/ATV/TREE MUSIC PUBLISHING.
Halfway Home Café
Lyrics and Music by Johnny Barranco and Paul Overstreet
©1998 SCARLET MOON MUSIC; WINGS OF DAWN MUSIC.
Harper Valley PTA
Lyrics and Music by Tom T. Hall
©1967 UNICHAPPELL MUSIC INC. / UNICHAPPELL-NEWKEYS (WARNER/ CHAPPELL MUSIC INC.)
Have You Forgotten?
Lyrics and Music by Darryl Worley and Wynn Varble
©2003 DARRYL WORLEY AND WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP.; PITTSBURG LANDING SONGS (APRIL MUSIC-EMI); EMI APRIL MUSIC INC. (EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING).
He Didn’t Have to Be
Lyrics and Music by Kelley Lovelace and Brad Paisley
©1999 LOVE RANCH MUSIC (EMI APRIL MUSIC INC; EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING); SEA GAYLE MUSIC LLC (PLAY FAIRCHILD MUSIC)
He Stopped Loving Her Today
Lyrics and Music by Curly Putman and Bobby Braddock
©1980 SONY/ATV/TREE MUSIC PUBLISHING
Here in the Real World
Lyrics and Music by Alan Jackson and Mark Irwin (Abramson)
©1988 TEN TEN MUSIC GROUP INC.; W B MUSIC CORP / WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC INC.
Hey Cinderella
Lyrics and Music by Suzy Bogguss, Matraca Berg, and Gary Harrison
©1992 WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORPORATION, MARIA BELLE MUSI, PATRICK JOSEPH MUSIC, INC. AUGUST WIND MUSIC, LONGITUDE MUSIC COMPANY, FARMOUS MUSCI COMPANY, LOYAL DUTCHESS MUSIC.
Highway 40 Blues
Lyrics and Music by Larry Cordle
©1979 UNIVERSAL POLYGRAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING INC. (UNIVERSAL MUS. PUB. GROUP)
Holes in the Floor of Heaven
Lyrics and Music by Steve Wariner and Billy Kirsch
©1997 by Red Brazos Music, Inc., Kidjulie Music, Steve Wariner Music Inc; MUSIC OF STAGE THREE; SILVER CHOLLA MUSIC / WAMA INC.; SONGS OF A FAIRCHILD; TENTEX MUSIC LLC (SILVER CHOLLA MUSIC); STEVE WARINER MUSIC
How Do You Get That Lonely?
Lyrics and Music by Rory Feek and Jamie Teachenor
©2003 BLACK IN THE SADDLE SONGS / OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT L.P.; GIANTSLAYER MUSIC (BLACK IN THE SADDLE SONGS / OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT L.P.); BUG MUSIC / MURRAH MUSIC CORPORATION
I Believe
Lyrics and Music by Skip Ewing and Donny Kees
©2002 WRITE ON MUSIC; SONY/ATV ACUFF ROSE MUSIC; SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING
I Can’t Make You Love Me
Lyrics and Music by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin
©1991 ALMO MUSIC CORPORATION; BRIO BLUES MUSIC (SONGS OF EVERGREEN COPYRIGHTS); HAYES STREET MUSIC, INC.; UNIVERSAL MUSIC-MGB SONGS
I Fall to Pieces
Lyrics and Music by Harlan Howard and Hank Cochran
©1960 SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING
I Hope You Dance
Lyrics and Music by Tia Sillers and Mark D. Sanders
©2000 SONY/ATV MELODY (CHOICE IS TRAGIC MUSIC); SODA CREEK SONGS (UNIVERSAL MUSIC CORPORATION; UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP)
I Love the Way You Love Me
Lyrics and Music by Victoria Shaw and Chuck Cannon
©1991 TASTE AUCTION MUSIC; UNIVERSAL MUSIC/MGB SONGS
I Run to You
Lyrics and Music by Tom Douglas, Charles Kelley, David Wesley Haywood, Hillary Scott
©2008 DWHAYWOOD MUSIC (WARNER-TAMERLANE); RADIOBULLETS PUBLISHING (WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP.); SONY/ATV TREE PUBLISHING; TOMDOUGLASMUSIC (SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING) SHAW ENUFF SONGS (MULTISONGS)
I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool
Lyrics and Music by Dennis Morgan and Kye Fleming
©1980 UNIVERSAL SONGS OF POLYGRAM INT. INC.
It Matters to Me
Lyrics and Music by Mark D. Sanders and Ed Hill
©1995 UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP; W B MUSIC CORP. / WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC INC.; MUSIC HILL MUSIC / UNIVERSAL MUSIC MGB NA LLC); UNIVERSAL MUSIC CAREERS / UNIVERSAL MUSIC MGB NA LLC.
Jackson
Lyrics and Music by Billy Edd Wheeler and Jerry Leiber
©1963 BEXHILL MUSIC CORP. (WORDS WEST LLC; ERNEST LOEWENWARTER & CO LLP); SONY/ATV TUNES LLC
Jesus Take the Wheel
Lyrics and Music by Hillary Lindsey, Brett James, and Gordie Sampson
©2005 CHRYSALIS ONE MUSIC; PASSING STRANGER MUSIC; MUSIC OF WINDSWEPT; BUG MUSIC INC.; RAYLENE MUSIC; SONGS OF SOUTHSIDE INDEPENDENT MUSIC PUBLISHING (RUMINATING MUSIC; WIXEN MUSIC PUB. INC.); SONY/ATV CROSS KEYS PUBLISHING (SONY/ATV TUNES LLC); STAGE THREE SONGS
Johnny Cash Is Dead and His House Burned Down
Lyrics and Music by Larry Gatlin and John Cash
©2009 SONG OF CASH MUSIC (BUG MUSIC INC.); MIKE CURB MUSIC; A MUTUAL ATTRACTION MUSIC
Letting Go
Lyrics and Music by Doug Crider and Matt Rollings
©1992 byWarner-Tamerlane Publishing Corporation, Zesty Zach’s Music.
Little Rock
Lyrics and Music by Tom Douglas
©1993 TOMDOUGLASMUSIC; SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING
Live Like You Were Dying
Lyrics and Music by Craig Wiseman and Tim Nichols
©2003 BIG LOUD SHIRT / BIG LOUD BUCKS; BUG MUSIC; WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP.
Long Black Train
Lyrics and Music by Josh Turner
©2003 DRIVERS ED MUSIC (CROSS KEYS PUBLISHING CO INC.); SONY/ATV CROSS KEYS PUBLISHING (SONY/ATV TUNES LLC)
Long Black Veil
Lyrics and Music by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin
©1959, renewed 1987 UNIVERSAL CEDARWOOD PUBLISHING
Love, Me
Lyrics and Music by Skip Ewing and Max T. Barnes
©1991 W B MUSIC CORP. / WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC INC.; WRITE ON MUSIC (SUSSMAN AND ASSOCIATES); SONY/ATV ACUFF ROSE MUSIC (SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING)
Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys
Lyrics and Music by Ed and Patsy Bruce
©1975 SONY/ATV TREE PUBLISHING (SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING)
Man of Constant Sorrow
Arrangement by Carter Stanley
©1953 by Peer International Corporation
Marie Laveau
Lyrics and Music by Shel Silverstein and Baxter Taylor
©1954 EVIL EYE MUSIC INC. (THE RICHMOND ORGANIZATION)
Maybe I
t Was Memphis
Lyrics and Music by Michael Anderson
©1984 CADILLAC PINK MUSIC; ATLANTIC MUSIC CORP.; FIRST RELEASE MUSIC PUBLISHING
Mississippi Squirrel Revival
Lyrics and Music by Buddy and Carlene Kalb
©1984 RAY STEVENS MUSIC
Mr. Bojangles
Lyrics and Music by Jerry Jeff Walker
©1968 COTILLION MUSIC INC. (WARNER/CHAPPELL MUSIC INC.)
Murder on Music Row
Lyrics and Music by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell
©1999 WANDACHORD MUSIC; SHELLPOINT MUSIC; PIER FIVE MUSIC INC.; SONY/ATV TREE PUBLISHING
My List
Lyrics and Music by Rand Bishop and Tim James
©2001 SOCK AND ROLL SONGS (DONALD SEITZ); SONGWRITERS PADDOCK MUSIC (SONG OF WS); WS MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC; WEIGHTLESS CARGO MUSIC (DO WRITE MUSIC LLC)
My Son
Lyrics and Music by Jan Howard
©1968 SONY/ATV TREE PUBLISHING (SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING)
Not That Different
Lyrics and Music by Karen Taylor-Good and Joie Scott
©1995 BUG MUSIC / SPOOFER MUSIC; MS. KAREN TAYLOR-GOOD (W B M MUSIC CORP.)
Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine
Lyrics and Music by Tom T. Hall
©1972 SONY/ATV ACUFF ROSE MUSIC (SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING)
Old Hippie
Lyrics and Music by David Bellamy
©1985 BELLAMY BROTHERS MUSIC
On Angel’s Wings
Lyrics and Music by Karen Taylor-Good and Jason Blume
©2000 K T GOOD MUSIC; W B M MUSIC CORP. (WARNER/CHAPPELL MUSIC INC.) ZOMBA SONGS, INC.
Online
Lyrics and Music by Brad Paisley, Kelley Lovelace, and Chris DuBois
©2007 DIDN’T HAVE TO BE MUSIC (APRIL MUSIC-EMI / EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING); SEA GAYLE MUSIC LLC (PLAY FAIRCHILD MUSIC)
Reuben James
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Country Music: The Inspirational Stories behind 101 of Your Favorite Country Songs Page 30
