My Daddy told me, lookin back
The best friend you'll have is a railroad track
So when I was 13 I said, I'm rollin' my own,
And I'm leaving Missouri and I'm never coming home
And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
Satchel puddin' and Lord God Mose
Sittin' by the fire with a busted nose
That fresh egg yeller is too damn rare
But the white part is perfect for slickin' down your hair
And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
Blackjack Ruby and Nimrod Cain
The moon's the color of a coffee stain
Jesse Franks and Birdy Joe Hoax
But who is the king of all of these folks?
And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
Well I dined last night with Scarface Ron
On Telapia fish cakes and fried black swan
Razorweed onion and peacock squirrel
And I dreamed all night about a beautiful girl
And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
Well God's green hair is where I slept last
He balanced a diamond on a blade of grass
Now I woke me up with a cardinal bird
And when I wanna talk he
Hangs on every word
And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
The best friend you'll have is a railroad track
So when I was 13 I said, I'm rollin' my own,
And I'm leaving Missouri and I'm never coming home
And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
Satchel puddin' and Lord God Mose
Sittin' by the fire with a busted nose
That fresh egg yeller is too damn rare
But the white part is perfect for slickin' down your hair
And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
Blackjack Ruby and Nimrod Cain
The moon's the color of a coffee stain
Jesse Franks and Birdy Joe Hoax
But who is the king of all of these folks?
And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
Well I dined last night with Scarface Ron
On Telapia fish cakes and fried black swan
Razorweed onion and peacock squirrel
And I dreamed all night about a beautiful girl
And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
Well God's green hair is where I slept last
He balanced a diamond on a blade of grass
Now I woke me up with a cardinal bird
And when I wanna talk he
Hangs on every word
And I'm lost
And I'm lost
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar
I'm lost at the bottom of the world
Lyrics submitted by xdvr, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Bottom Of The World Lyrics as written by Kathleen Brennan Thomas Alan Waits
Lyrics © JALMA MUSIC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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that little instrumental melody is really great. I was walking around in stockholm alone after a concert at 2 am listening to this tune. I was really lost at the bottom of the world.
The weird things he dines on 'Tilapia fishcakes and fried black swan are a bit of wishful thinking, just like dreaming all night about a beautiful girl'
Black swans are from Australia, which to some could be described as the bottom of the world. But then cardinal birds are from north and south America. Like most Waits songs, there is no hard and fast meaning - that's up to you.
anyone knows what's with the "balancing a diamond on a blade of grass" thing? he also mentions it in All the world is green. what does it mean? any ideas?
Now I'm thinking this is a reference to cheap booze. what does anyone else think?
My interpretation: The bishop represents religion. The barbershop liar (lie) represents societal constraints. So he's saying that he's an outcast, trapped (handcuffed) in his condition by those that adhere to social conformity.
when you feel like you don't have any roots you have moments like some of the lyrics
in here.
balancing a diamond on a blade of grass...you start to see beauty everywhere.
even if your future is bleak..especially actually.
beck wrote a lot of songs like this.
this reminds of stuff like "hollow log" and "modesto"
two artists that seem very akin to me.
and very personal to me as well.
The unsavory sounding characters that the teenager meets could either be a help or a hindrance which ever way you want to look at it but I can't imagine the teenagers prospects with someone called Scar Face Ron.
Eating Black Swan, Squirrel and the other weid things are the kind of Mulligan's Stew that you can imagine Hobbo's eating whilst on the road, the only things they can get their hands on.
God's green hair is off course sleeping on the grass and the first thing you will see on waking is the dew drops on the blades of grass as you have no pillow to rest your head on.