(soft guitar intro about 8 secs. at most)

VERSE 1 ( soft and slow)
cold hands and empty eyes
it hit you hard when you realized
that the world we live in ain't so wonderful...
you tried your best to help them heal their scars
but by yourself, you couldn't get that far
and the stress and sorrow started to take its toll...
but you should've known...

CHORUS ( medium-fast and passionate)
you don't gotta be like atlas
you don't gotta carry the weight of the earth
you don't gotta be like atlas
you don't gotta give until it hurts
Oh, when you're running out of strength to lend
and it's getting harder to pretend
you don't gotta be like atla-a-a-as
as long as you've. got. me. as a friend...

(5 sec. guitar break)

VERSE 2 (soft and slow again)
you look outside and there's so much to see
but it's all clouded by the poverty
and everything just seems to be so gray...
Yeah, you've seen so much but still try to be
the happy person that everyone needs
when inside you've begun to fade away...
oh, but you should've known...

BRIDGE ( fast and really passionate)
you don't gotta be like atlas
you don't gotta carry the weight of the earth
you don't gotta be like atlas
you don't gotta give until it hurts
OH BABY
just say the word and I'll be there
at any time, I'll go anywhere
so you won't have to be like atla-a-a-as
when I've got a shoulder to share
no, you won't have to be like atla-a-a-as
when I've got a shoulder to share

( 15 sec. guitar solo)

CHORUS ( softest yet and slow)
you don't gotta be like atlas
you don't gotta carry the weight of the earth
you don't gotta be like atlas
you don't gotta give until it hurts
Oh, when you're running out of strength to lend
and it's getting harder to pretend
you don't gotta be like atla-a-a-as
as long as you've. got. me. as a friend...
(soft but passionate)
no no no no!
you don't gotta be like atla-a-a-as
as long as you've. got. me. as a friend...