Written by John Mellencamp

Talking: (One time only, [gulp] if you don't
get it right this time, tough shit, tough shit,
everybody ready, tell me when, say when your
rolling here, a one, a two, a one, two, three, die)

I press my face to the window
I ran my fingers through my hair
I watched my life go around in a circle
And I realized that no body but me cares

And I saw the hurt of my system
And I felt the madness of our faults conforming
And I walked around your house for hours
And I could feel that you had me in some kinda of stranglehold

And I don't know why you said those bad things about me
Well it must be the way of protecting some kind of crazy pride
Yeah you always direct your attention toward others
And look you know, it's so easy to see that my wounds have been open
wide

And you can just kid the kid inside so many times
You can just kid the kid till he grabs you by the throat
And is choking your young ass blind
And you just kid the kid till you're walking on the tightrope in my my
mind ??
Yeah, you can just kid the kid inside so many times

Well it wasn't funny, no, when I was bleeding all over the table
Yeah, now as I recall, hey it wasn't funny at all
But you kept on laughing, huh, like it was some kind of party, yea
Your always looking to belittle someone to make you feel tall

Yea well, it's the same reaction in every situation
Do you really think it's so necessary to be so mean
Yeah, and it's hard for me to justify my position
Yeah, when everything that I'm saying can be said bad about Mr.
Springsteen, yea

(chorus)
Yeah you know

Yeah, well I really really am the first to desire you ??
And I feel so badly for his misery ??
Well I'll don't throw five dollars, to get into the kitty ??
And I'll bet my ass that this problem isn't me

Now now don't get me wrong wrong
Hey now don't you feel sorry, yeah
'Cause there's no one dead or alive that I'd rather be
And I've learned to deal with my mortal existence
And the moral is, now don't you go believe nothing that you can't see,
yeah

(chorus)
Yeah, and you can just kid the kid inside so many times, yea

(Ha ha ha, we'll keep it)