Dignity

[Verse 1] Fat man looking in a blade of steel Thin man looking at his last meal Hollow man looking in a cotton field For dignity [Verse 2] Wise man looking in a blade of grass Young man Looking in the shadows that pass Poor man looking through painted glass For dignity [Verse 3] Somebody got murdered on New Year’s Eve Somebody said dignity was the first to leave I went into the city, went into the town Went into the land of the midnight sun [Verse 4] Searching high, searching low Searching everywhere I know Asking the cops wherever I go Have you seen dignity? [Verse 5] Blind man breaking out of a trance Puts both his hands in the pockets of chance Hoping to find one circumstance Of dignity [Verse 6] I went to the wedding of Mary Lou She said, “I don’t want nobody see me talking to you” Said she could get killed if she told me what she knew About dignity [Verse 7] I went down where the vultures feed I would’ve gone deeper, but there wasn’t any need Heard the tongues of angels and the tongues of men Wasn’t any difference to me [Verse 8] Chilly wind sharp as a razor blade House on fire, debts unpaid Gonna stand at the window, going to ask the maid Have you seen dignity? [Verse 9] Drinking man listens to the voice he hears In a crowded room full of covered-up mirrors Looking into the lost forgotten years For dignity [Verse 10] Met Prince Phillip at the home of the blues Said he’d give me information if his name wasn’t used He wanted money up front, said he was abused By dignity [Verse 11] Footprints running across the silver sand Steps going down into tattoo land I met the sons of darkness and the sons of light In the border towns of despair [Verse 12] Got no place to fade, got no coat I’m on the rolling river in a jerkin boat Trying to read a note somebody wrote About dignity [Verse 13] Sick man Looking for the doctor’s cure Looking at his hands for the lines that were And into every masterpiece of literature For dignity [Verse 14] Englishman stranded in the black-heart wind Combing his hair back, his future looks thin Bites the bullet and he looks within For dignity [Verse 15] Someone showed me a picture and I just laughed Dignity never been photographed I went into the red, went into the black Into the valley of dry bone dreams [Verse 16] So many roads, so much at stake So many dead ends, I’m at the edge of the lake Sometimes I wonder what it’s going to take To find dignity