If you can keep your dignity when all about you Are losing theirs and pretending its not true, If you can avoid contact when all men want you, But straight faced act like you want them too, If you can force a smile and never tire of smiling Or being fake, never believe the lies Or being grabbed, never give way to slapping And yet listening to *****, just bat your eyes
If you can dance – and use it to men master If you can flirt – and not fancy, play a game If you can have nights o’ triumph and disaster And come back to work just the same If you can bear to hear some filth to you spoken Uttered by fathers to get off on, the fools Or watch brothers pretend they’ve just woken And to our sisters, say they play by the rules
If you can make one big heap of cash earnings And not think you won’t ever make a big loss And save, and start again as if you’ve no savings And never boast or act like the boss If you can force your mind and body and sinew To serve endless men like they’re the only one And be a drunkard, when there’s not drop in you Accept it’s a job and it’s a job to get done
If you can talk with rich men who have no virtue Or sit with ****** – not attend to their crotch If neither boss nor floor staff ever alert to you If all the girls like you, but none too much If you can stay how you feel this minute With your innocent heart pure and head clear Yours is the ******* and the cash that’s in it And – which is more – you’re a stripper, my dear!