Roger Miller - Vance Lyrics
Spoken:He was born one morninIt was cold and it was snowinAnd from the start he never had a chanceAnd though the doctors said he couldnt liveHis mama had some faith to given they brought him to her and his mama named him vanceHe was sick a long time thenI used to sit by himId rub his head and he would squeeze my handBut he never cried, hed grit his teeth and smile at mecause he couldnt speakAnd thats when I began to respect the little manAnd I think vance was three right about thenHe started school and one dayHe came home and at the doorway I could tellThe little man didnt want to come insideHe had met a girl but her boyfriend smittyHad caught him walkin home with herAnd nearly killed vanceBut then vance never criedAnd the only thing that smitty hurt was prideAnd he said(sung)Papa do you become a man when youre twenty-one?And I said age doesnt make a man a man, my sonSpoken:He looked at me so puzzled with eyes so young and kindn I think vance was seven about that time<brief instrumental interlude>I guess they say that first love is the very bestAt least it was with vancecause hed scratched becky on his deskBut becky went with smitty and vance was very smallAnd he used to dream what itd be like to be tallAnd then a few years later vance came in one dayAnd told me and his mama that he had to go awayTo be fitted for a uniformAnd though his mama shed a tearHe kissed her and said hed see us in two yearsAnd he looked at me and said papa, Im gonna be a man<brief instrumental interlude>Well, two years to the dayVance came walkin in the driveway nI didnt recognize him from his size till he got nearHe came in and he hugged his mamaAnd said hey, papa, little man, wanna go with me somewhere n grab a beer?So were sittin at this table whenThis fella at the bar started buggin vanceCallin him soldierBut vance kept his coolAnd he said papa, that guy is smitty and hes to be pitied nowCause thats the same guy that used to bully me in schoolThen smitty said the wrong thingWhen he brought up beckys name nVance finally stood and said boy, what did you say?And it did my heart so much good when vance hit ole smittyAnd it took two of smittys friends to carry him awayWell, vance left the very next mornin nIt was cold and it was snowinAnd from the first, life hadnt been much funBut he had finally made a stand nHed become a self-made man andIncidentally, he had just turned twenty-one
