Lyrics by Van Morrison & music by Eric Clapton

Stand and deliver,
You let them put the fear on you.
Stand and deliver,
But not a word you heard was true.
But if there's nothing you can say,
There may be nothing you can do.

Do you wanna be a free man
Or do you wanna be a slave?
Do you wanna be a free man
Or do you wanna be a slave?
Do you wanna wear these chains
Until you're lying in the grave?

I don't wanna be a pauper
And I don't wanna be a prince.
I don't wanna be a pauper
And I don't wanna be a prince.
I just wanna do my job
Playing the blues for friends.

Magna Carta, Bill of Rights,
The constitution, what's it worth?
You know they're gonna grind us down, ah
Until it really hurts
Is this a sovereign nation
Or just a police state?
You better look out, people
Before it gets too late

You wanna be your own driver
Or keep on flogging a dead horse?
You wanna be your own driver
Or keep on flogging a dead horse?
Do you wanna make it better
Or do you wanna make it worse?

Stand and deliver,
You let them put the fear on you.
Slow down the river,
But not a word of it was true.
If there's nothing you can say,
There may be nothing you can do.

Stand and deliver
Stand and deliver
Dick Turpin^† wore a mask too!

© Van Morrison, 2020