Loudon Wainwright Iii - Living Alone lyrics

You sit at a desk and you squirm in a chair You stretch out on a couch, you could fall asleep there But you lie in your bed and you try not to think You put on your bathrobe and you stand at the sink And then you look into the mirror and you unplug the phone You re-read the letter, you're living alone. You clear out a closet and you listen to a clock You wipe off a table and you pick up a sock And then you put up your feet and you stand on your head You hate what you did and you regret what you said And then you gaze at a spapshot and wait for the tone You talk to yourself, yeah, you're living alone. You were always alone, but you just didn't know it You tried living with someone but then you had to blow it And if there's one thing you learned after living with her Is that you're not the man now that you never were. So you turn up the heat and you fight off a cold You thumb through the Bible as you sit there on hold But you're your own boss you can do as you please Open a window and let in a breeze You sit down to dinner, yeah, you cooked your own You light a candle, you're living alone. You think about her and how did it end Your cleaning lady has become your very best friend You're back in your hometown, you're living in fear They wonder where has he been and why is he here You're watching the reruns of the Twilight Zone Your life in a nutshell, you're living alone. You were always alone, but you just didn't see it You tried to be someone different but you just couldn't be it And if there's one thing you learned after all of it Is that you're usually fired before you can quit. What you need is a dog, some goldfish or a cat A boa constrictor and a laboratory rat The end is at hand now and you have the means A roll of toilet paper and the right magazines Your parents are dead now and your kids are full grown You're 53 now, you're 53 now, you're 53 now You're living alone.