"I Am What I Am" lyrics - ADRIAN BELEW

"Friends seen an' unseen...to you that are ridin' along
In your automobile...to you that are sitting at you table
I greet you with the holy word 'Peace'...
For with my infinite mind I thinks constructively...
And I'm able to draw whatsaever I want into my immediate
Surroundin'...for yo' minds are my mind
And my mind is yo' mind and I'm sendin' out
My mind to you, you, an' you...

You've got to remain to bein' yourself...you cannot be
Nobody else, it ain't no use tryin' bein' no whirlwind
An' uh, jumpin' here an' an' playin' checkers with
Your own life, that ain't gonna work, baby...

Now repeat these words behind me:
'I am what I am'...now that's all you are...
You are what you believe you are...stretch out

So many of you all in Radioland, you're not stretchin' out...
But I want to say one thing to you today...it makes no
Differen' who you are, what you're doin', what you're
Tryin' to do or want to do, repeat these words
'I am what I am and that's all I am...is what I am'...
That's all I, look, that, that's all I am is what I am...and I'm it

Make no differen' whether it's in the mornin',
The evenin', or in the night time...
Hair breakin' out, bald headed...it's the same thing...
You are what you believe you are

'Cause some of you all are sittin' there right now,
Amen, an' tell if you had a necktie on yo', on now, right now,
A whirlwind would come along an' choke you to death,
That's how bad luck some of you all in...
Some of you all in such a bad luck right now
That you couldn't hit a barn with a baseball bat...
Some of you all in such a bad luck right now, amen,
If you was to sit down by-a-by-men, by a pond, amen,
Somethin' would come up an' stick ya'
You just in that bad a' luck...

I am what I am...now repeat this behind me:
'I am what I am and that is all I am and I am it'...
Yes, I know what you're sayin'...stretch out...oh, yes...stretch out"