Song of the Great Capitulation
I myself was once a raw recruit
And my ass was cotton candy
(Not just any share-cropper's daughter, with my looks and my talent and my aspirations for the best things in life)
So I told the world, now don't get cute,
Don't go and cut my brandy.
(With me it's all or nothing. Second place doesn't count. I am the master of my fate. The rules are for somebody else…)
But the little bird whispered in my ear,
It'll all be different in a year.
You'll be back in the big parade.
If they tell you to hop you'll hop.
You'll hop skip and chant
Til they order you to stop.
For orders must be obeyed.
That's the way of the big parade.
Where the promise of heaven is all you'll ever get paid,And the promise of heaven is a big charade.
(At least in my opinion.)
And you know before the year was out
I was drinking what they poured me.
(With a kid on the way and the price of bread being what it is, and what with one thing and another.)
For I found I didn't have the clout,
The cost of living floored me.
(You have to learn to live with people. You scratch my back I'll scratch yours. No use hitting your head against a brick wall…)
And then a little bird whispered in my ear,
Look, it didn't even take a year.
And you're back in the big parade.
And you sing along with whatever gets played.
If they tell you to hop, you hop.
And you hop, chant and jump 'til they tell you to stop.
That's the way of the big parade.
Where the promise of heaven is all you'll ever get paid,
And the promise of heaven is a big charade.
(At least in my opinion.)
We've all seen them that reach for the stars
And attack the nearest mountain.
(Hard work, humility and so on.)
When just one beer in one of their bars
Would cave their whole account in.
(When life hands you lemons, make lemonade)
But then a little bird whispers in my ear,
It'll all look different in a year.
They'll be back in the big parade.
And they'll sing along with whatever gets played.
If they're told to hop, they hop.
They'll hop skip and jump
'Til they tell them to stop.
Life's got rules must be obeyed.
Where the promise of heaven is all you'll ever get paid, And the promise of heaven is a big charade.
(At least in my opinion.)