It was an early morning barroom And the place had just opened up / And a little man came in so fast And he started at his cups And the broad who served the whiskey She was a big old friendly girl / Who tried to fight her empty nights By smiling at the world And she said "Hey, bub, it's been a while Since you've been around Where the hell you been hiding And why you look so down Well, the little man sat there Like he'd never heard a sound The waitress she gave out with a cough And acting not the least put off she spoke once again She said "I don't want to bother you - / - Consider it's understood - / - I know I'm not no beauty queen But I sure can listen good And the little man Took his drink in his hand And he raised it to his lips He took a couple sips And then he told the waitress this story I am the midnight watchman down at Miller's Tool and Die And I watch the metal rusting, I watch the time go by A week ago at the diner I stopped to get a bite And this here lovely lady she sat two seats from my right / And Lord, lord, lord, (Lord, Lord, Lord) she was alright You see she was so damn beautiful that she could warm a winters frost But she looked long past lonely and well nigh onto 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, (Lord, Lord, Lord) she was worth a try Well I was tongue tied like a schoolboy, I stammered out some words It did not seem to matter much 'cause I don't think she heard She just looked clear on through me to a space back in my head It shamed me into silence as quietly she said If you want me to come with you - / - Then that's all right with me - / - 'Cause I know I'm going no-where And anywhere's a better place to be - - - - / - - - / - Anywheres a better place to be Well, I drove her to my boarding house And I took her up to my room / And I went to turn on the only light To brighten up the gloom But she said, "Please leave the light off, Oh, I don't mind the dark" And 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 as I tried to tell her, she said "Ssssh, I know just how you feel And if you want to come here with me - / - Then that's all right with me - / - Cause I've been so lonely Lovin' someone is a better way to be - - - - / - - - / - Anywhere's a better place to be Well the mornin' came so swiftly I held her in my arms And she slept like a baby, snug and safe from harm I did not want to share her or dare to break the mood So before she woke I went out to buy us both some food I came back with my paper bag to find that she was gone She'd left a six-word letter sayin' "It's time that I moved on" You know the waitress she took her bar rag and she wiped it across her eyes / And as she spoke her voice came out as something like a sigh She said I wish that I was beautiful or that you were halfway blind / And I wish I weren't so God-damned fat, I wish that you were mine And I wish that you'd come with me when I leave for home For we both know all 'bout emptiness and livin' all alone And the little man looked at the empty glass in his hand and he smiled a crooked grin - - He said "I guess I'm out of gin and I know we both have been so lonely And if you want me to come with you then that's alright with me - - 'Cause I know I'm going no-where and anywhere's a better place to be