Please don't mistake me or try to make me The shadow of anybody else I ain't the him or her you think I am I'm just trying hard to be myself Oh, society's goal is to be part of the whole That may sound good to you, not to me Let me be, let me be To think like I want to Let me be, let me be That's all I ask of you I am what I am and that's all I ever can be Don't try to plan me or understand me I can't stand to be understood I could never give in to or ever live up to Being like you think I should I've got some inner need which I'm tryin' to heed I can't take hand-me-down destiny Let me be, let me be, To think like I want to Let me be, let me be That's all I ask of you I am what I am and that's all I ever can be Don't try to change me or rearrange me To satisfy the selfishness of you I'm not a piece of clay to mold to your moves each day And I'm not a pawn to be told how to move I'm sorry I'm not the fool you thought would play by your rules But to-each-his-own philosophy Let me be, let me be, To think like I want to Let me be, let me be That's all I ask of you I am what I am and that's all I ever can be I said that's all I ever can be I said that's all I ever can be I said that's all I ever can be