well dad said son don t you be a fool stay away from that old brown mule he s mean as a snake and twice as quick oh but always that kind that had to be shown i couldn t listen i couldn t be told even way back then i had to get my kicks yeah i been a rebel and it don t pay there ain t no future in livin this way it ain t worth the trouble and i ve tried to change yeah i done it the hard way all my life it s cost me plenty too many times i been a rebel and it don t pay if there s a bump in the road well i hit em all you don t really learn til you hit a brick wall back up and say man i could a gone around that yeah sometimes i wish i could just go along but that hard headed streak s just a little too long gettin first hand knowledge and goin nowhere fast yeah i been a rebel and it don t pay there ain t no future in livin this way it ain t worth the trouble and i ve tried to change yeah i done it the hard way all my life it s cost me plenty too many times i been a rebel and it don t pay yeah i been a rebel and it don t pay there ain t no future in livin this way it ain t worth the trouble and i ve tried to change yeah i done it the hard way all my life it s cost me plenty too many times i been a rebel and it don t pay