Written by John Mellencamp



Talking: (One time only, [gulp] if you don't

get it right this time, tough shit, tough shit,

everybody ready, tell me when, say when your

rolling here, a one, a two, a one, two, three, die)



I press my face to the window

I ran my fingers through my hair

I watched my life go around in a circle

And I realized that no body but me cares



And I saw the hurt of my system

And I felt the madness of our faults conforming

And I walked around your house for hours

And I could feel that you had me in some kinda of stranglehold



And I don't know why you said those bad things about me

Well it must be the way of protecting some kind of crazy pride

Yeah you always direct your attention toward others

And look you know, it's so easy to see that my wounds have been open

wide



And you can just kid the kid inside so many times

You can just kid the kid till he grabs you by the throat

And is choking your young ass blind

And you just kid the kid till you're walking on the tightrope in my my

mind ??

Yeah, you can just kid the kid inside so many times



Well it wasn't funny, no, when I was bleeding all over the table

Yeah, now as I recall, hey it wasn't funny at all

But you kept on laughing, huh, like it was some kind of party, yea

Your always looking to belittle someone to make you feel tall



Yea well, it's the same reaction in every situation

Do you really think it's so necessary to be so mean

Yeah, and it's hard for me to justify my position

Yeah, when everything that I'm saying can be said bad about Mr.

Springsteen, yea



(chorus)

Yeah you know



Yeah, well I really really am the first to desire you ??

And I feel so badly for his misery ??

Well I'll don't throw five dollars, to get into the kitty ??

And I'll bet my ass that this problem isn't me



Now now don't get me wrong wrong

Hey now don't you feel sorry, yeah

'Cause there's no one dead or alive that I'd rather be

And I've learned to deal with my mortal existence

And the moral is, now don't you go believe nothing that you can't see,

yeah



(chorus)

Yeah, and you can just kid the kid inside so many times, yea



(Ha ha ha, we'll keep it