A Penny for the Band

Another Shirley Temple,
Another Caine and Able,
There's nothing out the window,
And nothing on the table.

This life is like a sad list
Strong across the Nation,
If I miss you at the soundcheck,
I'll see you at the station.

There's a beast inside of me,
And he's not bad company
But he speaks in tongues I can never understand,
He says it's one more show and a penny for the band.

Keep everybody dancing,
Keep everybody spending,
I know I am not a good man,
But I can keep pretending.

I made it in a doorway,
Your dress is like a dark vale,
But I'm not going your way,
I'm going back to heartache.

With a bottle of Burgundy,
Where she waits on the balcony,
With a northern wish and a daisy in her hand,
To send me all her love and a penny for the band.

There's a beast inside of me,
And I miss my family,
All these pages and these stages made of sand,
Still, it's one more show and a penny for the band,
One more show and a penny for the band.