hold on to what you've got lyrics

I've been over and I've been under;
Been through all kinds of hell;
Trouble was not only my middle name,
It was my first as well.

Through the years all I've encountered,
I've just one thing to say,
Hold on to what you got,
And don't let it slip away.

I've been taken for far more rides
To places I've never been;
Stabbed so many times in the back
I no longer feel a thing.

Ask me what all this has taught me
And I'll tell you what I'll say,
Hold on...
Save it for a rainy day;
And keep a watchful eye on anyone that tells you lies;
See that it's true
You get what you're entitled to.

I was brought up same as you were;
No different and no worse;
You could be sure my mother would hit me
If I tampered with her purse.

All my life has been a lesson
The most important to date;
Hold on to what you got,
And don't let it slip away.