[Intro]
If ever I have a son in life, I'll call him in one day
And sit him down upon my knee and here is what I'll say

[Verse 1]
You might lose your lover, people do sometime
Oh, but it won't make sense for you to sit around cryin'
Son, don't you know that when you fall in love
Sometimes, you're gonna have the blues

[Chorus]
Well it may take years, but you're gonna shed some tears
'Cause everybody's got to pay some dues, now, now
Everybody's got to pay some dues

[Verse 2]
You might have money, yeah, and a big fine car
It don't matter what you look like, no, no it don't matter who you are
Son, don't you know you can't win all the time
Sometimes you're gonna have to lose

[Chorus]
Just as long as you live, you got to take as well as give
'Cause everybody's got to pay some dues, now, now
Everybody's got to pay some dues
[Bridge]
Whoa, whoa, whoa
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Yeah, yeah, yeah
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Hey, hey, hey-hey-hey
(Hey, hey, hey-hey-hey)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

[Chorus]
Well now, everybody's got to pay some dues, yeah don't you know it now
Everybody's got to pay some dues

[Verse 3]
Make no mistake now, son, about the things I told you
I don't want you to think, yeah, yeah, that I'm tryin' to scold you
Son, because I know you got to fall in love sometime
Be careful who you choose

[Chorus]
'Cause it's for sure, my son, before your life is done
You'll find that everybody's got to pay some dues, yeah don't you know it now
Everybody's got to pay some dues

[Outro]
(Dues, got to pay some dues, got to pay some dues)
I've got to pay, he's got to pay
(Got to pay some dues, got to pay some dues)
You've got to pay and she's got to pay
(Got to pay some dues, got to pay some dues)
No matter what you do, I say
(Got to pay some dues, got to pay some dues)
There is gonna come a day
(Got to pay some dues, got to pay some dues)
When you gonna have to pay
(Got to pay some dues, got to pay some dues)
Can't nobody get away from dues
(Got to pay some dues, got to pay some dues)
Yeah, yeah, yeah
(Got to pay some dues, got to pay some dues)
Don't you know you got to pay
(Got to pay some dues, got to pay some dues)
Hoo-hoo-hoo, don't you know you got to pay