They were, aah
He did what he had to do, he asked no questions
He had few conversations, the tar glistens in the noon heat
He tread across the grass, up onto and down off
Of the concrete abutments

Mirage on the highway, ghosts in the tunnel, the dark cave
Out into the blinding light of day at breakneck speed
Every bolt rumbling
Glistening highway mirage groans the slick surface

Careening into first the small mammal
And then screeching along the guard rail
Scraping paint and throwing sparks like
Sheets of pure terror for 400 yards, over and over

With one final back and forth rocking motion coming to rest whee, hah
The beautiful paint job hopelessly marred smoke and flames
Alright, so nice, he moved to the small creature
Screeching whistles of steam blowing off
On it's back, wheels spinning like a cinema classic

The door sags open and a man covered in blood
Drops the three feet or so to the pavement
The car still rattling and shaking as if with a mind of it's own
Unwilling to die, the man, 40ish, also after a time
An agonizingly painful period of time is also unwilling to die

Suddenly all is quite quiet there in the sunlight on the highway
But what? What can I do? I cannot move, everything is about broken
Blood everywhere, mixing with oil and gas
What's moving must turn my head, pain, white light, blinded

Some guy there kneeling in the blinded mirage of white light
All my strength to 'help', screaming, "Now, help me please"
He tried to tamp out the bit of burning ember
Which had leapt from the wreck onto his grimy coat sleeve
Coughing blood, what's happen? He's, he's inching towards truth

He strode of into the woods with the animal it still lived
He didn't glance back at all, still out ghosting the road
Death on the highway, words crumble around me
And fall with the weight of heaven, I cannot move

I'm beneath the great weight, I cannot see
My eyes are blinded, I am in the darkness
That's it

In panic I forget it, in despair I need it
In my mind I save it, in death I have it
In panic I forget it, in despair I need it

I shouldn't laugh, ha, ha, ha, yeah, really, oh

In panic I forget it, in despair I need it
In my mind I save it, in death I have it
(Thurston)
Never gave a damn about the meter man
I was the man who had to read the meters, man