When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to a mirror and look at yourself,
And see what THAT man has to say.

For it isn't your wife or family or friend
Who judgement upon you must pass;
The man whose verdict counts most in the end
Is the one staring back from the glass.

Some people may think you a straight-shootin' chum
and call you a person of place
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the face.

He's the man to please, never mind all the rest
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the man in the glass.