Vagrant suspicious and quite out of breath
Stumbles into a town where the people wear frowns
Picks up a paper, the pages are blank
They say, "No news today, no more writers around"
What price hope over adversity
Cause to applaud this perversity
I'm still deaf from the hydroplanes
Blessed with a cynical gaze
No words in our own defense
Independence our recompense
Fate casting a finer line
To pity or to pay
These rapids we're rolling on
Seem calm when they're good and gone
Love, as good as the house it warms
A million miles between us
Still we're heading the same way
I sing this song with my tongue in my cheek
For the jilted, the jaundiced, the angry young men
Who somehow believe that the status quo changes
With juvenile slogans in down market rags
What price hope over adversity
Cause to applaud this perversity
I'm still deaf from the hydroplanes

Your mama said, "clean out your head boy, don't lay nothing on my child"
Your friends they said, "Your heads in a noose boy lay some boogie on our minds"
And we stood like the rapids and I was like a new born child.
Your father said, "clean out your head boy, go and kick cans along the street"
Your father said "clean out your toes rose and go and lick some uncooked meat'
And we stood like the rapids and I was like a new born child.
Your mama said, "my babe is not free son, but I'm loose about midnight'
Your father said, "Your sisters a groove boy, what I said it just ain't right"
But then I stood like the rapids and I was like a new born child.

Your mama said, "clean out your head boy, don't lay nothing on my child"
Your friends they said, "Your heads in a noose boy lay some boogie on our minds"
And we stood like the rapids and I was like a new born child.
Your father said, "clean out your head boy, go and kick cans along the street"
Your father said "clean out your toes rose and go and lick some uncooked meat'
And we stood like the rapids and I was like a new born child.
Your mama said, "my babe is not free son, but I'm loose about midnight'
Your father said, "Your sisters a groove boy, what I said it just ain't right"
But then I stood like the rapids and I was like a new born child.
Won't you tell me why?

(McNabb)
Vagrant suspicious and quite out of breath
Stumbles into a town where the people wear frowns,
Picks up a paper, the pages are blank,
They say "No news today, no more writers around",
What price hope over adversity,
Cause to applaud this perversity,
I'm still deaf from the hydroplanes,
Blessed with a cynical gaze...
No words in our own defence,
Independence our recompense,
Fate casting a finer line,
To pity or to pay.
These rapids we're rolling on,
Seem calm when they're good and gone,
Love, as good as the house it warms,
A million miles between us,
Still we're heading the same way...
I sing this song with my tongue in my cheek,
For the jilted, the jaundiced, the angry young men,
Who somehoe believe that the status quo changes
With juvenile slogans in downmarket rags.
What price hope over adversity,
Cause to applaud this perversity,
I'm still deaf from the hydroplanes,
Blessed with a cynical gaze...

Your mama said, ";clean out your head boy, don't lay nothing on my child";
Your friends they said, ";Your heads in a noose boy lay some boogie on our minds";
And we stood like the rapids and I was like a new born child.
Your father said, ";clean out your head boy, go and kick cans along the street";
Your father said ";clean out your toes rose and go and lick some uncooked meat'
And we stood like the rapids and I was like a new born child.
Your mama said, ";my babe is not free son, but I'm loose about midnight'
Your father said, ";Your sisters a groove boy, what I said it just ain't right";
But then I stood like the rapids and I was like a new born child.
Won't you tell me why?