My life's lived out on the open plain
Everyone stares from the highway passin' through
From California to Carolina
They know my name from the devil's laughin' crew
And I tried to be a good man
But I lied to play my hand
And I fought my circumstance
But you can't win
Well hold on, Noah, there's a shiftin' wind
See the cold comin' over yonder off the hills
Livin' off crumbs of the widow's table
One of these days we will eat and drink our fill
And we tried to understand
But we cried the Rio Grande
And we fought our circumstance
But we can't win
Hip's outta socket and bone's outta joint
Heard your promise to my father years ago
Wrestled me down with a holy fist
A staff for a lesson that only you could show
And I tried to make my name
But I lied to cover my shame
And I fought 'til the end
But I can't win