These Days

I was walking around, just a face in the crowd Trying to keep myself out of the rain Saw a vagabond king wear a styrofoam crown Wondered if I might end up the same There's a man out on the corner Singing old songs about change Everybody's got their cross to bear these days She came looking for some shelter With a suitcase full of dreams To a motel room on the boulevard I guess she's trying to be James Dean She's seen all the disciples and all the wannabes No one wants to be themselves these days Still there's nothing to hold on to but these days These days the stars seem out of reach These days there ain't a ladder on the streets, oh no, no These days are fast, nothing lasts in this graceless age There ain't nobody left but us these days Jimmy Shoes, he busted both his legs, trying to learn to fly From a second story window, he just jumped and closed his eyes His momma said he was crazy, he said, "Momma, I've got to try Don't you know that all my heroes died And I guess I'd rather die than f-f-fade away, yeah" These days the stars seem out of reach, yeah But these days there ain't a ladder on the streets, oh no, no These days are fast, nothing lasts, it's a graceless age Even innocence has caught the midnight train There ain't nobody left but us these days I know Rome's still burning Though the times have changed This world keeps turning 'round And 'round and 'round and 'round these days These days the stars seem out of reach, yeah But these days there ain't a ladder on these streets, oh no, no These days are fast, love don't last, it's a graceless age Even innocence has caught the midnight train These days the stars seem out of reach, yeah But these days there ain't a ladder on these streets, oh no, no These days are fast, nothing lasts There ain't no time to waste There ain't nobody left to take the blame, oh no, no There ain't nobody left but us these days Ain't nobody left but us these days