I Keep My Head Up

I'm standing at the starting line,
Looking at the crowd and they're all wild,
I'm thinking, "Oh, wow."
The sun just set; it's evening, it's dusk,
The lights shine down on us.
I'm standing in my running shorts,
And yeah, they're kind of short.
They're green and yellow; they remind me of a dinosaur.
It becomes apparent to me, becomes clear,
That I'm the shortest runner out here.
The dude on my left; I think he might be nine,
But he looks like he's at least five-foot-nine.
And the guy on my other side has long limbs,
I mean his legs and arms look strong and thin.
I'm feeling awkward, uneasy,
I start to feel a little sick, a little queasy.
Because I'm here representing my whole town,
I'm here acting for them and holding it down.
And, yes, I'm a good runner and I won a couple meets,
But I wonder if these other runners are gonna beat me.
So I start to sweat like I'm at the beach,
With no breeze, and it's like 100 degrees.

I'm feeling pressure…
I keep my head up, I keep my head up,
I keep my head up and my eyes wide open.
They can't stop me; no, they can't stop me now…

This is the big competition; this is the contest,
Where we compete against each other; I'm being honest.
All of a sudden, they say, "Runners take your marks,"
And I know when the gun shoots, it will start.
And, "Blam!" We take off in an instant, a second,
A moment; we own it, now everyone's going.
But I see that I'm running at the back of the pack,
I guess I'm not as fast, because I'm last on the track.
And I start to feel weary, tired from the race,
I'm thinking, "Maybe I should quit and just take a break.
I feel blisters on my feet – ouch!
I wish I was at home sitting on my couch."
But then wise words from my mom flash in my mind:
"If you don't keep your head up, life will pass you by!"
So I know I'm last, but I put on the gas,
I'm running super fast now; yeah I'm burning the track.
I pass a runner on the first turn,
I'm faster than a bird; he's like the earthworm.
I run fast as the world when it turn-turns,
I pass all different colored shirts like rainbow sherbet.
And now the crowd is making more noise,
I see the girl that I like best; and she's yelling, "Go boy!"
I pass another and another, pass a sister and a brother,
I'm a flash, baby—you can't even see me; I'm a runner.
And when I win, they all congratulate me,
Express joy, tell me how they're happy for me.
So now when I'm feeling down, I always get up,
With my eyes wide open, yeah I keep my head up!

I'm feeling pressure…
I keep my head up, I keep my head up,
I keep my head up and my eyes wide open.
They can't stop me; no, they can't stop me now…