The Ballad Of The Hulk Lyrics - Jerry Jeff Walker

The cycle of life is here to see 

In all its fine simplicity 

But the way we live it seems to be 

Something very weird to me and I cry out 

Pettiness like lady's chatter 

It seems to complicate the matter 

I grit my teeth, my senses chatter 

There's nothing much makes me madder and I leap out 

For big or little, great or small 

It really doesn't matter at all 

The way we shuffle our feet, and hem and haw 

'Cause everyone's afraid they'll fall or else be left out 

What's right for me are strange to you 

Shouldnt make a damn on what you do 

'Cause whether or not you make it through 

I thought you already knew that I'll keep you going on 

And the World War III 

And the world series 

Will make the same size 

Headlines in the news 

From all I've seen of politics 

Its just a greasy big money stick 

Geared to run on tongues so slick 

To make you think this is all there is you got, I'm afraid 

How they con the little middle man 

Into thinking he has got a hand 

To play in the future of the promised land 

He owes himself to the destiny of man, get ridiculous 

Cheap gangster can hire someone 

To do his work with a tommy gun 

While the president points at anyone 

And says, "I, your country wants the killing done, go do it now, boy" 

But the war itself is bad enough 

It can break you down no matter how tough 

But the tragedy of hoopla stuff 

It makes you think you can't do enough for the Chinese symbols 

And the other countries 

They feel the same as we 

And regret I have 

But one country to give for my life 

Preacher stands in his holy shroud 

Saying, "God forgives if you do it now" 

You come back when the chips are down 

Youll find that they've all gone underground to pray for you 

And the homosexual twist to preach 

He feels that he can preach to me 

The right way to go and raise a family 

And I'm forced to look at him 

He mean to say, You're guessing 

As the population is getting higher 

The poverty poor, the pregnant tired 

Are waiting on the Pope to be inspired 

For some new contraceptive attire saying, "It's cool now" 

It's a ghost behind a one way mirror 

Listening tip-toed at the door to hear 

Someone outside won't speak the year 

Then, they'll slip a note out how they feel about pierced ear-lobes 

But the rules made now 

For the changing counts 

Are a little late 

We'll be out of date by tomorrow 

Her mother played on virginity 

She said, "It was the holy place to be" 

The things boys had were evilry 

When it came time for matrimony she froze and died there 

Her sister at fourteen, very well known 

She thought all kicks came lying there prone 

But the fundamental fact not spoken at home 

Left her feeling like a chewed on bone and why, she wondered 

And one chick who dug moving about 

Very liberal minded and of' spoke out 

How she was cool and understood 

No doubt with the blankets up 

The lights turned out, you're condescending 

And a couple together for five or six years 

A marriage license, they'd never been near 

But social pressure and loss of job fear 

Got them married and divorced in half a year, they couldn't cut it 

It's all talked about 

And then it's lived around 

But what is right for me 

Could be perversity in any state law book 

I'm told the minstrel at one time 

Was allowed to sing and make his rhymes 

To comment on the news of the times 

Saying, "What's in people's minds?", and he made tips for it 

But today try singing on some street curb 

Singing the news in everyday words 

The people pass by and laughing is heard 

Or else they'll hit you where it hurts or they'll keep their ears closed 

One man said, "Boy, I dig your stuff 

I want you to come play at my club 

I'll put your name in lights up above 

But just remember, I got a club to run, so don't you be too strong 

It's not the writers who sell us out 

Its the damn censors who turn about 

All your life learned adjectives and vowels 

And say my mouth is much too foul to clearly speak to you 

But try to hit a nail 

And if the hammer fails 

Then the words you use to describe that bruise 

That's basic language 

I hitch hike and sang the songs 

That everybody knew and sang along 

To amuse myself I wrote some songs 

Speaking about what's right and wrong, and I'm a little different 

So a record company, you know well 

Wanted to know if my song would sell 

I said, "Yes, I like it very well 

If you don't, sir, you can go to help somebody else change 

I kept hope on and bumming around 

Singing to my friends who dig that sound 

A few guys said, "Won't you come to my town" 

I ask fair bread, they put me down their Caddie's mortgaged 

I made one deal like it's you and me 

This guy said he'd be lots of use to me 

But when I found he's putting the screws to me 

I made it back out on the street singing new folk songs 

And if there's time enough 

And the hill ain't too rough 

What I wrote today 

I might someday play and make some tips for it 

Don't, next, the next issue of the hulk