When I grow up to be a man   Like my father was when I was young   I hope I can make him so proud of me   Proud enough to call me his son, oh yeah      What makes these people so different now   What makes these times so strange?   Seems most people got most everything they need   How come we see this change?      Our sons and daughters seem to be beyond our control   Their smile is fading fast, they're losing their soul   When will we ever learn, yet I'm a believer      When I was a boy, did we have more respect?   This world seemed a nicer place to be   But time slowly passes and one day you look around   You hardly recognize what you see      Our sons and daughters seem to be beyond our control   Their smile is fading fast, they're losing their soul   Now when will we ever learn, but I'm a believer   They're beyond your control      We're all sons of our fathers   Sometimes I feel like mine   I can hear him say, the things I say   Seems all things come around in time, oh      Why these things happen we'll never know?   Guess that was then and this is now   We always knew that change was gonna come   But I want to go back, please tell me how      Our sons and daughters seem to be beyond our control   Their smile is fading fast and they're losing their soul   When will we ever learn, yet I'm a believer, oh yeah   Beyond your control, oh they're beyond your control