Reading under bridges, wandering around Sleeping on park benches and hiding from the town He left New York a f** up, trying to just go straight Didn't know how long that kind of thing would take But he made up his mind to wait Made a little progress, got his head a little clear But just like all his heroes he returned to the beer Another head a-spinning, another shattered phone Another night in heartbreak city all alone And the county boys were down by the liquor store Telling their proud tales to the lonesome and the poor And he stood there like a soldier returning from war He said, "I don't want to be such a bum anymore." His body was a-hurtin, his head it was a mess At worst he was a ba*tard, a tragedy at best Drunkin', barely moving, stumbling alone He cursed the world for doing him wrong When in the distance he heard some kind of song He followed the sound down a sad old street Past the panhandlers shufflin' their feet Through the baker's alley, all the dumpster divers know Around the corner where the boys were singing low And the county boys were down by the liquor store Telling their proud tales to the lonesome and the poor And he stood there like a soldier returning from war He said, "I don't want to be such a bum anymore."