When yer head gets twisted and yer mind grows numb
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When you think you're too old, too young, too smart or too dumb
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When yer laggin' behind an' losin' yer pace
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In a slow-motion crawl of life's busy race
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No matter what yer doing if you start givin' up
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If the wine don't come to the top of yer cup
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If the wind's got you sideways with with one hand holdin' on
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And the other starts slipping and the feeling is gone
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And yer train engine fire needs a new spark to catch it
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And the wood's easy findin' but yer lazy to fetch it
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And yer sidewalk starts curlin' and the street gets too long
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And you start walkin' backwards though you know its wrong
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And lonesome comes up as down goes the day
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And tomorrow's mornin' seems so far away
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And you feel the reins from yer pony are slippin'
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And yer rope is a-slidin' 'cause yer hands are a-drippin'
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And yer sun-decked desert and evergreen valleys
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Turn to broken down slums and trash-can alleys
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And yer sky cries water and yer drain pipe's a-pourin'
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And the lightnin's a-flashing and the thunder's a-crashin'
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And the windows are rattlin' and breakin' and the roof tops a-shakin'
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And yer whole world's a-slammin' and bangin'
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And yer minutes of sun turn to hours of storm
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And to yourself you sometimes say
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"I never knew it was gonna be this way
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Why didn't they tell me the day I was born"
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And you start gettin' chills and yer jumping from sweat
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And you're lookin' for somethin' you ain't quite found yet
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And yer knee-deep in the dark water with yer hands in the air
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And the whole world's a-watchin' with a window peek stare
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And yer good gal leaves and she's long gone a-flying
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And yer heart feels sick like fish when they're fryin'
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And yer jackhammer falls from yer hand to yer feet
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And you need it badly but it lays on the street
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And yer bell's bangin' loudly but you can't hear its beat
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And you think yer ears might a been hurt
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Or yer eyes've turned filthy from the sight-blindin' dirt
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And you figured you failed in yesterdays rush
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When you were faked out an' fooled white facing a four flush
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And all the time you were holdin' three queens
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And it's makin you mad, it's makin' you mean
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Like in the middle of Life magazine
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Bouncin' around a pinball machine
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And there's something on yer mind you wanna be saying
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That somebody someplace oughta be hearin'
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But it's trapped on yer tongue and sealed in yer head
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And it bothers you badly when your layin' in bed
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And no matter how you try you just can't say it
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And yer scared to yer soul you just might forget it
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And yer eyes get swimmy from the tears in yer head
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And yer pillows of feathers turn to blankets of lead
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And the lion's mouth opens and yer staring at his teeth
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And his jaws start closin with you underneath
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And yer flat on your belly with yer hands tied behind
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And you wish you'd never taken that last detour sign
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And you say to yourself just what am I doin'
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On this road I'm walkin', on this trail I'm turnin'
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On this curve I'm hanging
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On this pathway I'm strolling, in the space I'm taking
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In this air I'm inhaling
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Am I mixed up too much, am I mixed up too hard
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Why am I walking, where am I running
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What am I saying, what am I knowing
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On this guitar I'm playing, on this banjo I'm frailin'
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On this mandolin I'm strummin', in the song I'm singin'
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In the tune I'm hummin', in the words I'm writin'
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In the words that I'm thinkin'
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In this ocean of hours I'm all the time drinkin'
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Who am I helping, what am I breaking
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What am I giving, what am I taking
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But you try with your whole soul best
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Never to think these thoughts and never to let
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Them kind of thoughts gain ground
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Or make yer heart pound
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But then again you know why they're around
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Just waiting for a chance to slip and drop down
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"Cause sometimes you hear'em when the night times comes creeping
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And you fear that they might catch you a-sleeping
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And you jump from yer bed, from yer last chapter of dreamin'
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And you can't remember for the best of yer thinking
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If that was you in the dream that was screaming
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And you know that it's something special you're needin'
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And you know th |