Up to Me

Everything went from bad to worse Money never changed a thing Death kept followin', trackin' us down At least I heard your bluebird sing Now somebody's got to show their hand Time is an enemy I know you're long gone I guess it must be up to me If I'd thought about it I never would've done it I guess I would've let it slide If I'd-a paid attention to what others were thinkin' The heart inside me would've died But I was just too stubborn to ever be governed by enforced insanity Someone had to reach for the risin' star I guess it was up to me Oh, the union central is pullin' out The orchids are in bloom I've only got me one good shirt left and it smells of stale perfume In fourteen months I've only smiled once and I didn't do it consciously Somebody's got to find your trail I guess it must be up to me It was like a revelation When you betrayed me with your touch I'd just about convinced myself nothin' had changed that much The old rounder in the iron mask he slipped me the master key Somebody had to unlock your heart He said it was up to me Now I watched you slowly disappear down into the officers' club I would've followed you in the door but I didn't have a ticket stub So I waited all night 'til the break of day, hopin' one of us could get free When the dawn came over the river bridge I knew it was up to me The only decent thing I did when I worked as a postal clerk Was to haul your picture down off the wall near the cage where I used to work Was I a fool or not to try to protect your real identity? You looked a little burned out, my friend I thought it might be up to me I met somebody face to face and I had to remove my hat She's everything I need and love but I can't be swayed by that It frightens me, the awful truth of how sweet life can be But she ain't a-gonna make me move, I guess it must be up to me Now we heard the sermon on the mount and I knew it was too complex It didn't amount to anything more than what the broken glass reflects When you bite off more than you can chew you pay the penalty Somebody's got to tell the tale I guess it must be up to me Dupree came in pimpin' tonight to the Thunderbird cafe Crystal wanted to talk to him, I had to look the other way Now, I just can't rest without your love, I need your company But you ain't a-gonna cross the line I guess it must be up to me There's a note left in the bottle, you can give it to Estelle She's the one you been wond'rin' about, but there's really nothin' much to tell We both heard voices for a while, now the rest is history Somebody's got to cry some tears I guess it must be up to me So go on, boys, and play your hands, life is a pantomime The ringleaders from the county seat say you don't have all that much time And the girl with me behind the shades, she ain't my property One of us has got to hit the road I guess it must be up to me If we never meet again, baby, remember me How my lone guitar played sweet for you that old-time melody And the harmonica around my neck, I blew it for you, free No one else could play that tune, you know it was up to me