They guard you on a summer night
They keep their leash on you so tight

Hear them judging all the time
As if you had committed a crime
Hear them teaching, hear them call

Open the door without knocking
Cut the phone though you’re talking
Don’t you see how they keep control

If you don’t stand up and walk on straight
They’re gonna keep you in this bird cage
If you don’t get yourself loose

You’ve gotta find out the right distance
You’ve gotta build up your resistance
When you change, this world changes too
Birds gotta fly

You’re still depending on their hugs
You’re still relying on their bucks

What your parents say is always right
Your mother’s great, she’s still your guide
Everybody acts but daddy decides

Don’t you feel the subtle hurts
The fine violence of their words
How much longer can you stand in their sights

If you don’t stand up and walk on straight
They’re gonna keep you in this bird cage
If you don’t get yourself loose

You’ve gotta find out the right distance
You’ve gotta build up your resistance
When you change, this world changes too
Birds gotta fly

You were born into these rules
But these rules are not for good

They will always keep you down
They will avoid letting you go
So that you never leave this boring town

Point your eyes up to the sun
You are not the only one
Growing up and staying on your own

If you don’t stand up and walk on straight
They’re gonna keep you in this bird cage
Don’t you think it’s time to choose

You’ve gotta find out the right distance
You’ve gotta build up your resistance
When you change, this world changes too
Birds gotta fly