Walk tall, walk straight, and look the world right in the eye
That's what my momma told me when I was about knee high
Said "Son now be a proud man, and hold your head up high
Walk tall, walk straight, and look the world right in the eye,"

When I was young boy ...
But I was young and foolish then, and much too blind to see
I ignored the things she said as if I never heard
Now I see and understand the meaning of her words

Walk tall, walk straight, and look the world right in the eye
That's what my momma told me when I was about knee high
Said "Son now be a proud man, and hold your head up high
Walk tall, walk straight, and look the world right in the eye,"

Started going to places, where youngsters shouldn't go
Got to know the kind of girls it's better not to know
Fell in with a bad crowd and laughed and drank with them
And through the laughter mama's words would echo now and then '

Walk tall, walk straight, and look the world right in the eye
It's what my momma told me when I was about knee high
Said "Son now be a proud man, and hold your head up high
Walk tall, walk straight, and look the world right in the eye,"

Got in trouble with the law, and I'm in prison now
Through these prison bars I see things so much different now
I got one year left to serve, and when my time is done
I'll walk tall and I'll walk straight, and mama'll be proud to call me son.

Walk tall, walk straight, and look the world right in the eye
That's what my momma told me when I was about knee high
Said "Son now be a proud man, and hold your head up high
Walk tall, walk straight, and look the world right in the eye,"

Walk tall, walk tall