Dave Keats songs are © copyright protected.

Big Book

Johnny shows up 'n' grows up 'n' glows out
He's better than all the rest.
All the folk in the neighbourhood wish that their kids were like him.
What with local sports champion and champion at everything
His Ma was real proud.
Of the boy who was born out of wedlock.
She held her head high again.

But didn't somebody tell her that life is a big book?
Miss too many pages an' nothing makes sense anymore.
You can cheat life so bad 'til it starts cheatin' back an' it beats you.
There's no winners, just losers in a game where nobody keeps score.

Well he flunked out an' dropped out an' freaked out an' hung out with all the wrong kind.
An' they showed him new things that he knew didn't really exist.
He liked it an' spiked it despite it took away all he'd ever worked for.
But old habits die hard and his habit was agein' real fast.

But didn't somebody tell him that life is a big book?
Miss too many pages an' nothing makes sense anymore.
You can cheat life so bad 'til it starts cheatin' back an' it beats you.
There's no winners, just losers in a game where nobody keeps score.

He picks up 'n' sits up 'n' gets up 'n' throws up all over the bathroom floor.
As he aims for the can or the sink he can't quite work out which.
After a lifetime of stumbling he finally stops fumbling as he gets his mark.
He hits target first time as that first shot turns into his last.