Through the wall in a soft spring rustle Street-side selling some summer hustle Across the Maple Street in a bristling fall Just whistling all's a balled-up riddle Just a high snowball on a curve and a fall Through a parking lot at Christmas I heard her whisper, I heard him call Here's what the gist was Only wary in our lives Open-eyed and half-ashamed That is to say A float on a ferry, freezing, tired Fully wired, a total waste That's where the spirit left us Underneath the house, just like a flameout teen Smells like sweat and gasoline (Kid, I stand with you) And when you get hard, and your eyes get mean 'Cause you're on the march, well, I could almost kiss you Don't let them twist you Here have this song, you can take it with you Stay lonely, open-wide Your eyes all fire, your mind aflame Don't be disgraced Loose of limb, unlionized While all liars fade to grey Oh, don't feel detested Did a silence drop? Did your walkman stop? Did the air turn cold? Was the message just so close? Ah, but did you choke it? Oh, kid, I know I know where this is going Because we always blow it Only wary in our lives Open-eyed, half-ashamed It's just that way Float down that river, freezing, tired Fully wired, a total waste That's where the spirit left us Only wary in our lives Your eyes all fire, your mind aflame And don't be dismayed When this sobbing world goes screaming by I swear that if I had my way You know I would have blessed it