Sometimes in the evening I start to get the feeling like I'm empty inside,
I know I'm doin good now but tonight I'm headed downtown down by the riverside.
I sit under the freeway with an old friend from the old days and a bottle of wine.
He used to call me "
Big Time" said he knew someday that I'd shine, Said he'd seen all the signs,
He said,"
Keep yourself to yourself,
Keep your bedroll dry and boy you never can tell what the shadows hide.
Keep one eye on the ground, pick up whatever you find 'cause you've got no place to fall, when your back's to the wall."
He's gettin old and it shows when I asked him how its goin he said," I've been better I guess, Ive been rained on,
I've been frozen but this here's the life I've choosen if it just weren't for the loneliness.
Now this river suits me to a T.
but if your'e trying to raise a family it ain't no place to be.
There's a kid down by the dump there ought to be in grade school somewhere now he hangs out with me now I told him,
Keep yourself to yourself, keep your bedroll dry, boy you never can tell what the shadows hide.
Keep one eye on the ground, pick up whatever you find, '
Cause you've got no place to fall, when your'e backs to the wall."
Well we finished off the bottle and I told him,"
Joe I think I ought to be headed uptown." Well it was late and I'd been drinkin, drivin home I got to thinkin bout whats been goin down.
Cause they're nervous down on Wall Street but they're trying to keep it upbeat or maybe they just dont care.
But down at the river, eyes are burnin cause they feel the tables turnin so if you wind up down there...
Just keep yourself to yourself, keep your bedroll dry, boy you never can tell what the shadows hide, keep one eye on the ground, pick up whatever you find cause you've got no place to fall, when your backs to the wall...
