From the recording Tales From The Atomic Tambourine
Lyrics
RAILBIRD ELEGY
You bet all your money on The Poor Man’s Lady
And when she stumbles and goes for a fall
Well then you run away like nothing was wrong
To a loud last call
You tug at an arm in that Charles Town bar
Until you don’t have a dollar to spend
And though there isn’t any room at the Inn
You linger a while and pretend
Why can’t I get close to you?
I mean it’s not like they’re lining up in the halls
And why can’t I get close to you?
It’s not much you’d be giving up after all…
You stand in the rain at that old fuel station and I see you
Shout at the phone how you’ve been cold
But then you look around like it’s nothing at all
Just another loud late last call
Why can’t I get close to you?
I mean it’s not like they’re lining up in the halls
And why can’t I get close to you?
It’s not much you’d be giving up after all…
As you coattail on through
There’s no one betting on you
The action always somewhere else in this town
And though you toke more than tom in these rooms
In the end they all run away from you.