You can't see the forest for the branches

You can't see the ocean from the bottom of the wave

You can't see the glory from the trenches

You can't see tomorrow from today

I can't tell the hour from the minute

I can't tell the weekend from the middle of the week

It's sure hard to see it when you're way down in it

It's sure hard to beat it when it makes you feel a little weak

It's hard to see the surface from the bottom

It's hard to know your purpose, ain't it true?

Some folks say to smoke 'em if you've got 'em

Dammit, if you don't, damned if you do

I always try to see the thistle for the flower

I try to see the shower as a break from the heat

I try to whistle straight through the sour

Yeah, the pill tastes bitter, but I'll tell you that it tastes sweet

I said it's hard to see the surface from the bottom

It's hard to know your purpose, ain't it true?

Some folks say to smoke 'em if you've got 'em

Dammit, if you don't, damned if you do

It's hard to keep a secret, but not to tell a lie

It's hard to believe it when you're barely getting by

It's hard to know the answer when the question's never said

It's hard to be a dancer, baby, when you're living in your head

Now, you can't see the future and you can't keep the past

All the winners, they're just lucky losers, baby, yeah, nothing ever lasts

It's hard to see the surface from the bottom

It's hard to know your purpose, ain't it true?

Some folks say to smoke 'em if you've got 'em

Dammit, if you don't, damned if you do

I said it's hard to see the surface from the bottom

It's hard to know your purpose, ain't that true?

Some folks say to smoke 'em if you've got 'em

Dammit, if you don't, damned if you do

Damned if you do