What's It To You Poem by Colin Coplin

What's it to you, what's it to you, what's it to you

A clever girl with a mind of her own, shapes with clay and carves with stone
At an early age her life is pre-recorded for her
"Don't be unique, follow rules, don't take risks", its sad but cruel
To shape a mind, or hold back her world, from her
Her parents were told the same I guess, it's better to accept something less
Then to try to aim for the stars, or even higher

What's it to you, what's it to you, what's it to you
To have your whole life pre-recorded, what's it to you

A nameless man, alone upright, makes a stand he believes is right
And in doing so changes the world we know forever
He stood for freedom, courage, dignity, and for one brief moment integrity
Then left the stage of history, with a debt we'll owe forever
Yes, we sat and watched him, he was brave, if in his place would we do the same
Freedom is a precious right, to never be allowed to be taken from you

What's it to you, what's it to you, what's it to you
A brief moment of integrity, what's it to you

The young march blindly into war, a battle hymn to push them forward
At home the papers sing of hero's and valour
But the look upon their face is terror, make no mistake, fear leaves his mark on you, forever
It's a tale of dread, asperity, of forgotten hero's retrieved from memory, narrated by an old solider during dinner, breaking bread
So, when we stand at St Peter's gate and look back on the life we waste
Was there more we could have done, to make things better

What's it to you, what's it to you, what's it to you
To look death right in the eye and survive, what's it to you

The singer with an open mind, pens his song and crafts out rhymes
Hoping one day he'll be heard by millions
And like the stars up in the sky, that gaze down on him and ask him why, he bothers
He simply sings his reply and smiles

What's it to you, what's it to you, what's it to you
To want something better, what's it to you

I hold you closely in my arms, and protect you from winter's harm
I'll teach you all, of what I know, to you
I'll make time and explore new things, it's the only right I have to give
And hopefully your world will turn out a little better
So when all is said and done, and only then will time show good has won
And what we are is what we've become, maybe then you look back and remember-

Now what's it to you, what's it to you, what's it to you
Only time will tell, what's it to you

Copyright Colin Coplin 2010 (updated 2023)