Graham Parker

Chloroform

Graham Parker


You look like you been here before
one or two many times
you look like you made a business deal 
that crossed too many lines
you look like you been marked for life 
and given up for dead
you look like you got someone else's 
hair growing out of your head 
so where you gonna get your feelings from 
after they've been removed
where you gonna get your water from 
a glass or a plastic tube
how you gonna keep your head up 
when it's down there in your shoes
how you gonna keep the big sleep 
from closing in on you
like chloroform x4

Seems like our paths might have crossed 
many many moons ago 
in some dark and evil place 
but where I just don't know
didn't you have a sidekick then
some flunky with a scar 
who did the deals you wouldn't touch 
from the back seat of your car 
and didn't you try to palm me off 
with some Chinese opium 
that didn't really do anything 
just made my lips grow numb
and didn't you punch my lights out 
after I expressed my doubt 
but didn't you do that to everyone 
after they sussed you out

so where you gonna get your feelings from 
after they've been removed
where you gonna get your water from 
a glass or a plastic tube
how you gonna keep your head up 
when it's down there in your shoes
how you gonna keep the big sleep 
from closing in on you
like chloroform x4 

Why didn't you see it coming man
from way way down the pike
there had to be a payback baby
someone had to strike 
something had to bring it home 
the mirror had to smash
when you hit those kind of highs 
you know you have to crash 
when you hit those kind of lows
you know there's further down 
in the hands of forces 
you just don't understand
like chloroform 

so where you gonna get your feelings from 
after they've been removed
where you gonna get your water from 
a glass or a plastic tube
how you gonna keep your head up 
when it's down there in your shoes
how you gonna keep the big sleep 
from closing in on you
like chloroform x4