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
Words & Music: John Mellencamp’s Greatest Hits
- Pink Houses
- Walk Tall
- Dance Naked
- Love and Happiness
- Again Tonight
- Paper in Fire
- Just Another Day
- I Need a Lover
- Martha Say
- Wild Night
- Check It Out
- Your Life Is Now
- Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)
- Ain’t Even Done with the Night
- Peaceful World
- What If I Came Knocking
- Rain on the Scarecrow
- Rumbleseat
- Lonely Ol’ Night
- When Jesus Left Birmingham
- Jack & Diane
- Hurts So Good
- Cherry Bomb
- Small Town
- Pop Singer
- Jackie Brown
- Teardrops Will Fall
- Thank You
- Crumblin’ Down
- Human Wheels
- Authority Song
- Now More Than Ever
- This Time
- Hand to Hold On To
- Get a Leg Up
- I’m Not Running Anymore
- R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to 60's Rock)
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