Released: October 23, 1983
Songwriter: John Mellencamp
Producer: Don Gehman John Mellencamp
They like to get you in a compromising position
Well, they like to get you there and smile in your face
Yeah, they think they're so cute when they got you in that condition
But I think it's a total disgrace
And I say
I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I've been doing it since I was a young kid
And I come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
(Oh yeah!)
I call up my preacher
I say, "Give me strength for round 5."
He said, "You don't need no strength, you need to grow up son."
I said, "Growin' up leads to growin' old and then to dyin'
Ooo, and dyin' to me don't sound like all that much fun."
And so I'll say
I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I've been doing it since I was a young kid
I come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
I say, oh no, no no
I say, oh no, no no
I say, oh no, no no no
I fight authority, authority always wins
I fight authority, authority always wins (Kick it in)
I've been doing it since I was a young kid
And I come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
I've been doing it since I was a young kid
And I come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
So I said
I fight authority, authority always wins (Oh no)
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins (Oh no no)
Well, I've doing it since I was a young kid (Oh no)
And I come out grinnin' (Oh no)
Well, I fight authority and authority always wins
Well, they like to get you there and smile in your face
Yeah, they think they're so cute when they got you in that condition
But I think it's a total disgrace
And I say
I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I've been doing it since I was a young kid
And I come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
(Oh yeah!)
I call up my preacher
I say, "Give me strength for round 5."
He said, "You don't need no strength, you need to grow up son."
I said, "Growin' up leads to growin' old and then to dyin'
Ooo, and dyin' to me don't sound like all that much fun."
And so I'll say
I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I've been doing it since I was a young kid
I come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
I say, oh no, no no
I say, oh no, no no
I say, oh no, no no no
I fight authority, authority always wins
I fight authority, authority always wins (Kick it in)
I've been doing it since I was a young kid
And I come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
I've been doing it since I was a young kid
And I come out grinnin'
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins
So I said
I fight authority, authority always wins (Oh no)
Well, I fight authority, authority always wins (Oh no no)
Well, I've doing it since I was a young kid (Oh no)
And I come out grinnin' (Oh no)
Well, I fight authority and authority always wins
more tracks from the album
On the Rural Route 7609
- The Real Life
- Your Life Is Now
- Don’t Need This Body
- Sweet Evening Breeze
- The Full Catastrophe
- My Aeroplane
- Troubled Land
- Someday the Rains Will Fall
- Theo and Weird Henry
- Women Seem
- Between a Laugh and a Tear
- If I Die Sudden
- Peaceful World
- To Washington
- Colored Lights
- The World Don’t Bother Me None
- Jack and Diane (Writing Demo)
- Jenny at 16
- Rain on the Scarecrow
- Jim Crow
- Big Daddy of Them All
- What If I Came Knocking
- Longest Days
- Sugar Marie
- Mr. Bellows
- Deep Blue Heart
- Love and Happiness
- Someday
- Forgiveness
- To M.G. (Wherever She May Be)
- For the Children
- Freedom’s Road
- Our Country (Alternative Version)
- Jim Crow
- Thank You
- Ghost Towns Along the Highway
- Jackie Brown
- Cherry Bomb
- Jack & Diane
- L.U.V.
- County Fair
- When Jesus Left Birmingham
- Country Gentleman
- Rural Route
- Void in My Heart
- Just Like You
- Rodeo Clown
- A Ride Back Home
- Authority Song
- Grandma’s Theme
- Death Letter
- Young Without Lovers
- Pink Houses
From the albums
- Uh-Huh (1983)
- The Best That I Could Do (1978-1988) (1997)
- Words & Music: John Mellencamp’s Greatest Hits (2004)
- On the Rural Route 7609 (2010)
- Plain Spoken: From the Chicago Theatre (2018)
John Mellencamp popular songs
- Jack & Diane
- Pink Houses
- Hurts So Good
- Small Town
- Check It Out
- Authority Song
- Rain on the Scarecrow
- I Need a Lover
- Cherry Bomb
- For the Children
- Farewell Angelina
- R. Gang
- To M.G. (Wherever She May Be)
- Worn Out Nervous Condition
- Yours Forever
- No One Cares About Me
- Forgiveness
- L.U.V.
- This May Not Be the End of the World
- County Fair
- Goodnight
- Young Without Lovers
- Another Sunny Day 12/25
- Serious Business