Like a king without a crown
As the curtain comes down
I went home but I came back for more
I was sad as a clown

I, I would rather steal than borrow
You and your heart away
I, I would rather lead than follow
The road to Mandalay

Since the first world war
You've seen it all for 50 years or more
Your face is tired
In your steps there is a crack where
People's dreams keep falling in

And I, I would rather steal than borrow
You and your heart away
I, I would rather lead than follow
The road to Mandalay

As the sky threatens
Another land beckons
We can't take it anymore
Have to know once and for all
Do we stand or do we fall

But I, I would rather steal than borrow
You and your heart away
And I, I would rather lead than follow
The road to Mandalay
The road to Mandalay