Henry's Songbook

A Better Place To Be

• (Harry Chapin)

'Twas an early morning barroom, the place'd just opened up
A little man came in so fast, started at his cups
The lass who served the whisky was a big old friendly girl
Who tried to fight her lonely nights by smiling at the world
She said, Hey, it's a while since you've been around
Where the hell have you been hiding, and why do you look so down
The little man just sat there like he'd never heard a sound
And the waitress just gave a cough, and she acted not the least put off
She spoke once again and she said
She said, I don't mean to bother you, consider that's understood
And I know I'm not a beauty queen but I sure can listen good
The little man raised his glass to his lips and he took a couple of sips
And he told the waitress this story



• I am a midnight watchman, think I'll be one till I die
  I watch the metal rusting, I watch the years go by
  Last week, at a diner I stopped to get a bite
  There was this here lovely lady, she sat two seats from my right
  And Lord, Lord Lord, she was all right
  She was so damn beautiful she could warm a winter frost
  She was looking way past lonely, kind of scared, kind of lost
  Now I'm not much of a mover or a pick-'em-up-easy guy
  But I decided to glide on over and give her one good try
  And Lord, Lord Lord, she was worth the try
  But I was tongue-tied like a schoolboy, I stammered out some words
  It didn't seem to matter, though, I just don't think she heard
  She just stared clean through me to some place back in my head
  And she shamed me into silence as quietly she said
  
     If you want me to come with you that's all right with me
     Because I know I'm going nowhere
     And anywhere is a better place to be
  


• I drove her to my boarding-house, I took her to my room
  When I went to put the light on to brighten up the gloom
  She said, Please leave the light off, I don't mind the dark
  As her clothes all tumbled round her I could hear my heart
  The moonlight shone upon her as she lay back in my bed
  It was the kind of scene I only had imagined in my head
  I just could not believe it, to think that she was real
  And when I tried to tell her, she said, Shush - I know how you feel
  
     And if you want to come here with me that's all right with me
     Because I've been oh so lonely
     Loving anyone is a better way to be
  
  
• The morning came so swiftly as I held her in my army
  Sleeping like a baby she was snug and safe from harm
  I didn't want to wake her, didn't dare to break the mood
  So quietly I tiptoed out to get us both some food
  And when I came back with my paperbag I found that she was gone
  And she'd a left a six-word letter saying, It's time that I moved on
  
  The waitress took a bar rag and she wiped it across her eyes
  And when she spoke her voice came out something like a sigh
  She said, I wish I was beautiful, or you were halfway blind
  I wish I wasn't so goddam fat, and I wish that you were mine
  And I wish that you'd come with me when I leave here to go home
  Because we both know about emptiness and living all alopne
  The little man looked down at the glass there in his hand
  And he smiled a kind of crooked grin, he said, I guess I'm out of gin
  And yes, we both know about loneliness
  
     So if you want me to come with you that's all right with me
     'Cause I know I'm going nowhere
     And anywhere's a better place to be