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
- 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)
- Jack & Diane
- Pink Houses
- Hurts So Good
- Small Town
- Check It Out
- Authority Song
- Rain on the Scarecrow
- I Need a Lover
- Cherry Bomb
- Nothing’s for Free
- Cold Sweat (Live)
- Wild Night (Acoustic version)
- Crazy Island
- The Face of the Nation
- Days of Farewell
- Get a Leg Up
- Rodeo Clown
- When Margaret Comes to Town
- I Ain’t Ever Satisfied
- Junior
- Just Like You
- Lonely Ol’ Night (live)
- Great Mid-West
- Take Home Pay