Twenty miles left to the show
Hello, my old country, Hello
Stars are just beginning to appear
And I have never, in my life
Before been here

And it's my heart, not me
Who cannot drive
At which conclusion you arrived
Watching me sit here, bolt upright
And cry for no good reason
At the Eastering sky

And the tilt of this strange nation
And the will to remain for the duration
(waving the flag
Feeling it drag)
Like a bump on a bump on a log, baby;
Like I'm in a fistfight with the fog, baby;
Step, ball-change, and a pirouette!

And I regret
How I said to you
Honey, just open your heart
When I've got trouble
Even opening a honey jar
And that, right there, is where we are
I've been fessing, double-fast
Addressing questions nobody asked
I'll get this joy off of my chest, at last
And I will love you
Till the noise has long since passed

And I did not mean to shout. Just drive
Just get us out, dead or alive
The road's too long to mention--
Lord, it's something to see!--
Laid down by the
Good Intentions Paving Company
All the way to the thing
We've been playing at, darling
I can see that you're wearing
Your staying-hat, darling

For the time being, all is well
Won't you love me a spell?
This is blindness beyond all conceiving
While, behind us, the road is leaving
And leaving, and falling back
Like a rope gone slack

Well, I saw straightaway
That the lay was steep
But I fell for you, honey
Easy as falling asleep
And that, right there
Is the course I keep
And no amount of talking
Is going to soften the fall
But, like after the rain
Step out of the overhang. That's all
It had a nice ring to it
When the old opry house rang
So, with a solemn auld lang
Syne, sealed, delivered
I sang

And there is hesitation
And it always remains
(concerning you, me
And the rest of the gang)
And in our quiet hour
I feel I see everything
And am in love
With the hook
Upon which everyone hangs

And I know you meant
To show the extent
To which you gave a goddang--
You ranged real hot and real cold
But I'm sold
I am at home on that range
And I do hate to fold
Right here, at the top of my game
When I've been trying
With my whole heart and soul
To stay right here, in the right lane
But it can make you feel over, and old
(Lord, you know it's a shame)
When I only want for you to pull over
And hold me
Till I can't remember my own name