Down in the valley, somebody's getting ready for a kill And on the street the marching feet send echoes thru the chill And I'm tryin' my best to get drunk, because I am unable To entertain the thought of being sober, and the truth is painful The light was gone I heard a song Come drifting from the park And round a fire, a drunken choir Sang softly in the dark And for a while I felt secure Like Jesus in the cradle But I know, I've always known The truth is painful The word came round you been found, face-down on a street And so I went to pay respect, and watch your mother weep She cried so hard she almost died, I turned away and I was grateful I was glad it wasn't me, and the truth is painful I was glad it wasn't me, an' the truth is painful But the truth will set you free The truth is painful The truth is painful The truth is painful The truth is painful The truth is painful