Paid my dues back in NYC
Busking for the rats by the ACE
So I headed out West to start my band
Staked my claim in the promised la-la-land

Playing weddings out in Pasadena
Rocking crappy covers of Celene and Tina
But when do you start to really live
When what you love takes from you till there’s nothing left to give

Marking
Going through the motions
When’s it my turn, when’s it my turn
Burning through the best years of my life
I’m marking
Tell me I’m ready
Feeling unsteady but at least I still can feel
If I gotta beg or steal
Cause I gotta, gotta live for real

Two years of going by coastal
Going bipolar
Going nearly postal
They say my talent can’t be denied
As I attack Love Shack and Electric Slide
But none of these gigs play in my own tune
As they cut the cake, I pop balloons
And after it’s done, I feel alone
Cause I ain’t ever gonna have one of my own

Just marking
Going through the motions
When’s it my turn, when’s it my turn
Burning through the best years of my life
I’m marking
Tell me I’m ready
Feeling unsteady but at least I still can feel
If I can break or make a deal
Cause I gotta, gotta live for once

I wanna finally feel what it’s like to really win
To focus all this energy that I’ve been holding in
I have this fire in me
I have to have my say
No more asking why
Just no more YMCA

Marking
Going through the motions
Now it’s my turn, now it’s my turn
No more burning through the best years of my life
Marking
Tell me I’m ready
Feeling unsteady but at least I still can feel
I’m making my appeal
Cuz I gotta, gotta live for real
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
No
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
No
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh
No
Gotta, gotta live for real