Electric light, bright and harsh Cuts the night, breaks the dark Engine noise and plastic toys Crooked rhymes and power lines This world is a hard, hard place Let me be soft in it Too much speed, too much sound Too many roads cover tender ground Too many guns, too much war Too much chasing after more This world is a hard, hard place Let me be soft in it We've got piles of wealth, stacks of rage We're living in a strange age Broken hearts, broken glass Walk careful now, you might cut yourself Give me soft hands, soft eyes Soft belly, soft mind Hard is strong -- so we've been told But the water wears away the stone Men of steel, prison bars We don't know who we are If I must be a part of it Let me be soft-hearted This world is a hard, hard place Let me be soft in it This world is a hard, hard place Let me be soft in it