I've been in a "protest song" state of mind this week, and so this one has popped back into my head today.

Truth be told, the second and third verses have always left me feeling slightly ill at ease. They both, to my ear, had a tone that was heavy on the sentimentality, and thus ran counter to my intended message.

So I've just spent my evening rewriting both of them.

Second verse:

I would like to have you know --
I'm happy as I am.
I just want all the rights
Expected by the common man:
The right to learn, the right to work
To travel as I please.
For the right to live the life I choose
Is not your charity.

---
Third verse:

I am brave (some of the time)
I am a coward, too.
I can be kind or greedy;
I am human, just like you.
Don't put me on a pedestal
And leave me stuck up there
Because every human being
has a unique gift to share.

...

And now, I come back to the (or another) chorus question:

Should I change it around a bit, to close it on a different mood?

::Mulls this::