Lost the confidence to write a song
So I found three simple chords
And held them together with my weak voice
On an out of tune guitar
My father gave to me
And may Elvis turn in his grave
And Les Paul curse my dirty calloused fingers
And may the likes of this song never make
One fucking dollar
Leave it for a demo tape
To be played until it's broken
And remembered only for what it was
Though we gave 'em hell
Though we gave 'em hell
Though we gave 'em hell
(2x)
To my friends and enemies who could have been anything
Titans and heroes who found survival in cause and effect
Behind counters
Behind windows
Striving just
To be people with bitter ideals of justice
Do we only need to keep working because it pays rent?
Sleeping under plastic stars glued to the ceiling
Muscles burning alcohol and nicotine
Every morning
But we gave 'em hell
But we gave 'em hell
But we gave 'em hell
(2x)
There's a height beyond skyscrapers
There's a distance beyond the freeway
More than pictures in a magazine
More than tragedy in a rock and roll song
It's more than actions you know are safe to make
It's more than money could ever buy
Are we living to work and die in American cities?
And working to live and die in American cities,