Folks call me a maverick Guess I ain't too diplomatic I just never been the kind to go along Just avoidin' confrontation For the sake of conformation And I'll admit I tend to sing a different song But sometimes you just can't be afraid To wear a different hat If Columbus had complied This old world might still be flat Nothin' ventured, nothin' gained Sometimes you've got to go against the grain Well, I have been accused Of makin' my own rules There must be rebel blood Just a-runnin' through my veins But I ain't no hypocrite What you see is what you get And that's the only way I know To play the game Old Noah took much ridicule For building his great ark But after forty days and forty nights He was lookin' pretty smart Sometimes it's best to brave the wind and rain By havin' strength to go against the grain Well, there's more folks than a few Who share my point of view But they're worried If they're gonna sink or swim They'd like to buck the system But the deck is tacked against 'em And they're a little scared To go out on a limb But if you're gonna leave your mark You can't follow like a bunch of sheep You got to listen to your heart Go bustin' in like old John Wayne Sometimes you got to go against the grain Nothin' ventured, nothin' gained Sometimes you've got to go against the grain