Tom Sanderson – Rather Be | download mp3

Rather Be
lyrics and music by Tom Sanderson

I’d rather be stuck on a desert isle
than a conscript in Caesar’s force
I’d rather be thrown from a chariot race
than to spring from a wooden horse
I’d rather be rowing a sailing ship
than a hoplite in ancient Greece
I can’t control this time of war
but I’d rather be in times of peace

There are things beyond control
like the way the world turns and the wind-blown sky
Sometimes you know there ain’t no choice
When you’ve got the right of selection
to live how you want to live
You know you’ve got to use your voice

I’d rather be trapped in an aging mind
than to make the same mistakes again
I’d rather be hitched to the 9-to-5
than to feel like I did back then
I’d rather be stuck in a corporate meeting
than to stare blankly at the wall
I can’t relive all my past success
Some past moments were not great at all

There are things beyond control
like the way the world turns and the wind-blown sky
Sometimes you know there ain’t no choice
When you’ve got the right of selection
to live how you want to live
You know you’ve got to use your voice

I’d rather be living month-to-month
than to walk this life alone
I’d rather not travel anywhere
than to live with a heart of stone
I can’t change much adversity
but I can control my mind
I can’t control what people think
but I can fix my attitude

There are things beyond control
like the way the world turns and the wind-blown sky
Sometimes you know there ain’t no choice
When you’ve got the right of selection
to live how you want to live
You know you’ve got to use your voice

vocals and instruments by Tom Sanderson.

Written and recorded May – June, 2026 in Cedar City, Utah, USA.

My thanks to my cousin Alan and my brother Brian who offered valuable help along the writing and recording process. For a detailed explanation into the creative process on this recording/song, please leave a comment and I would be happy to explain