A Puzzlement Songtext
von Rodgers & Hammerstein

When I was a boy, world was better spot
What was so was so, what was not was not
Now I am a man, world have changed a lot
Some things nearly so, others nearly not
There are times I almost think I am not sure of what I absolutely know
Very often find confusion in conclusion I concluded long ago
In my head are many facts that as a student I have studied to procure
In my head are many facts of which
I wish I was more certain I was sure
Is a puzzlement, what to tell a growing son
What, for instance, shall I say to him of women?
Shall I educate him on the ancient lines?
Shall I tell the boy, as far as he is able
To respect his wives and love his concubines?
Shall I tell him everyone is like the other
And the better one of two is really neither?
If I tell him this, I think he won′t believe it
And I nearly think I don't believe it either
When my father was a king
He was a king who knew exactly what he knew


And his brain was not a thing
Forever swinging to and fro and fro and to
Shall I then be like my father
And be willfully unmovable and strong?
Or is better to be right
Or am I right when I believe I may be wrong?
Shall I join with other nations in alliance?
If allies are weak, am I not best alone?
If allies are strong with power to protect me
Might they not protect me out of all I own?
Is a danger to be trusting one another
One will seldom want to do what other wishes
But unless someday somebody trusts somebody
There′ll be nothing left on earth, excepting fishes
There are times I almost think nobody's
Sure of what he absolutely know
Everybody find confusion in conclusion he concluded long ago
And it's puzzle me to learn
That though a man may be in doubt of what he know
Very quickly will he fight, he′ll fight
To prove that what he does not know is so
Oh, oh, sometimes I think that people going mad
Ah, ah, sometimes I think that people not so bad
But no matter what I think, I must go on living life
As leader of my kingdom I must go forth
Be father to my children and husband to each wife
Et cetera, et cetera, and so forth
If my Lord in Heaven, Buddha, show the way
Every day I try to live another day
If my Lord in Heaven, Buddha, show the way
Every day I do my best for one more day
But
Is a puzzlement