Born with nothing but your mama's blue eyes
And your daddy's mood swings that you always despised
No one could tell how you'd pass through the years
But you're wise and you're kind, you're brave and you're here
It takes but a minute to know what you want
It may take a lifetime to know who you are
The secret is reading all the right words
And learning to live with the cracks and the scars
So you made it out alive
Now you can hold your head up high
Yeah you made it out alive
Now you can walk the streets with pride
Don't need a pocketful of gold to take the open road
Don't need a pocketful of gold
To win somebody's heart and somebody's soul
Fighting the fascists, the priests and the cops
Fighting and fighting, the fight never stops
But no one can see when you hang up your gloves
That all of your fighting is driven by love
And you're loving your lovers, your songs and your friends
Loving and loving, the love never ends
But no one can see in the fullness of light
That all of your loving is part of the fight
The drinking might kill you, the thinking might too
The loneliness cuts like a cold wind in June
They don't give a fuck if we're down on our luck
And that's why I'm proud to be born to ruin
Living and dying it's all the same deal
But your mama's blue eyes keep turning the wheel
And daddy's mood swings will pass through the years
On the carousel of time, through the blood, sweat and tears