Faking it

I killed a man
Called One-eyed Chan
In a bar-room in Manila
I went ashore
With my forty-four
And blew his brains out on the floor
His girl cried out, “You shot my love,
You dirty low-down killer.”

It isn’t true
I’m telling lies
I’ve never looked into the eyes
Of anybody with a gun

Then once when on
The Amazon
I met a man named Sailor John
We used to eat
Dead monkey meat
Rotting in the jungle heat
It made him sick
He died one night
I buried him. He’s gone.

I made that up
Another lie
I’ve never seen a person die
Or dug a dead man’s grave.

In '92
I took the view
That mining was the thing to do
And then the price of silver soared
I sold off all my bullion hoard
And bought a seat upon the board
Of companies investing in
Oil and gas and coal and tin
More and more the money poured
Into my banks in Liechtenstein
Where interest gathered
Mine, all mine

I lied again
Another fraud
Dear Lord
I don’t know what is real

I think I kissed
A girl called Kate
Who had an Argentinian mate
Whose tattooed ears and braided hair
Made him welcome everywhere.
Kate was charming and I’m sure
She would have let me kiss her more
If only I’d been rich

I’m not a liar
Or a fake
Just don’t take…
It seriously


Do you remember when we met?
I hope you do ‘cause I forget
I’ve been so many people that
I can’t remember where I’m at
I try to do what’s right, all right
It’s harder in the depths of night.
As everyone who knows me knows
I’m true as true as true can be
So long as people all agree
That I know them and they know me

copyright akc 2006