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Cover Art

If Lyrics by Joni Mitchell

Shine

2007

[Verse 1]
If you can keep your head while all about you
People are losing theirs and blaming you
If you can trust yourself when everybody doubts you
And make allowance for their doubting too

[Verse 2]
If you can wait and not get tired of waiting
And when lied about, stand tall, don't deal in lies
And when hated, don't give in to hating back
Don't need to look so good, don't need to talk too wise

[Refrain]
If

[Verse 3]
If you can dream and not make dreams your master
If you can think and not make intellect your game
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same

[Refrain]
If

[Verse 4]
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve you after all of them are gone
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Nothing but the will that's telling you to hold on, hold on

[Refrain]
If

[Verse 5]
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted and misconstrued by some smug fool
Or watch your life's work torn apart and broken down
And still stoop to build again with worn-out tools

[Refrain]
If

[Verse 6]
If you can draw a crowd and keep your virtue
Or walk with kings and keep the common touch
If neither enemies nor loving friends can hurt you
If everybody counts with you but none too much

[Refrain]
If

[Verse 7]
If you can fill the journey of a minute
With sixty seconds' worth of wonder and delight
Then the earth is yours and everything that's in it
But more than that, I know you'll be alright, you'll be alright

[Outro]
'Cause you've got the fight, you've got the insight
You've got the fight, you've got the insight
You've got the fight, you've got the insight
Credits
Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell

About “If” by Joni Mitchell

Read the complete lyrics to "If" by Joni Mitchell from the album "Shine" in 2007. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Jazz Rock, Jazz Fusion, Jazz.

"If" is performed by Joni Mitchell. from the album "Shine" in 2007 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "If", explore more songs by Joni Mitchell using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Joni Mitchell · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"If" is credited to Joni Mitchell. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"If" appears on "Shine" in 2007.

Visit the Joni Mitchell artist page at /artist/joni-mitchell for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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