[Verse 1]
I awoke stinking like a dead man does with time
Not just from the waste I’ve strewn around the room
My will resigned then I let it take to me like vines
I’ve go explaining to do and a greenish hue
It’s a cold I’ll always have
And God, could I use a sneeze
But the Kleenex corporation has long run out of sympathy

[Chorus]
To get this low, I had to dig a great big hole
Now the only way out cost me everything I know

[Verse 2]
This wasn’t supposed to be part of the arc of the story
I’ve learned that spilling your guts
Will not in every case lead to glory
Stubborn as mule in quicksand, you drown
With every two steps forward comes two steps down
This was bound to unravel, that thread just needed a tug
'Cause only so much mess can be swept under a rug
Between my wases and ams I think I’d still choose the latter
But speaking of which, just what the hell did I do with that ladder?
I'm a boxer on the ground, not sure if I should just stay down
I’ve been here a while, it’s not lost on me
That the seats have emptied,there is no referee
But I could swear I still hear a few people rooting for me
[Chorus]
To get this low, I had to dig a great big hole
Now the only way out cost me everything I know
Could not lead with such a wound neglected
Saw my comrades, they’ve all defected
Now the loss of troops plus the ground to boot
Leaves me just time to kill and a trench to fill

[Bridge]
I'm all dried out, my mind’s grown fit
I figured out how to live like this
And the fifteen elephants sitting on my chest
Don’t feel like much when I’m breathing my best

[Chorus]
To get this low, I had to dig a great big hole
Now the only way out cost me everything I know
To get this low, I had to dig a great big hole
Now the only way out
The only way out