See him wasted on the sidewalk in his jacket and
his jeans
Wearin yesterdays misfortune like a smile
Once he had a future full of money, love, and dreams
Which he spent like they was goin out of style
And he keeps right on a changin for the better or the worse
Searchin for a shrine he’s never found
Never knowin if believin is a blessin or a curse
Or if the goin up was worth the comin down
He’s a poet, he’s a picker
He’s a prophet, he’s a pusher
He’s a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he’s stoned
He’s a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction
Taking ev’ry wrong direction on his lonely way back home
He has tasted good and evil in your bedrooms and your bars
And he’s traded in tomorrow for today
Runnin’ from his devils, lord, and reachin for the stars
And losin all he’s loved along the way
But if this world keeps right on turnin for the better or the worse
And all he ever gets is older and around
from the rockin of the cradle to the rollin of the hearse
The goin up was worth the comin down
He’s a poet, he’s a picker
He’s a prophet, he’s a pusher
He’s a pilgrim and a preacher, and a problem when he’s stoned
He’s a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction
Taking ev’ry wrong direction on his lonely way back home
There’s a lot of wrong directions on his lonely way back home
