Lyrics John Wesley Harding

John Wesley Harding

Ordinary Weekend

I lost my job on Friday, I went drinking to forget

My luck it had been down so long but I could change it yet

Sat down and started talking with some guy sitting there

He bought me drinks all afternoon until I didn't care

He said was I in need of work, some money could be found

I said "is it above the law? " he said "it's underground"

I said "I need the paycheck now, I got debts here and there"

He smiled and asked if I could drive and I said "anywhere"

Anywhere

In this weekend of ordinary dreams

Everything was not just as it seems

Take a look around at the faces in the crowd

And you'll see where I've been

We met up on the Saturday, I thought it was us two

But I had not asked questions not knowing what to do

Twelve of them were in the van, thirteen including me

Twelve pairs of eyes were staring back at me, suspiciously

And so I just sat down and drove, took them to some track

And drove past the security guard while they hid in the back

They made me stop, and got out there, and I heard a couple of shots

I hoped they were in self-defense but I knew that they were not

They were not

Not in this weekend of ordinary dreams

I drummed my fingers on the wheel and waited for the boys

Had a smoke, I had a few, I got very paranoid

And still they hadn't come back there, so I just drove away

Deciding to play safe and get my share another day

On Sunday, he came round my place, I asked him where they'd been

He said they'd left another way and only I was seen

He said that we should cash the van and did I want my share

I didn't like the way they'd left but by now I didn't care

Didn't care

Didn't care for this weekend of ordinary dreams

He drove me to a back room with a single swinging light

Someone said "the fish are starving, ain't it time they had a bite"

And I felt sick and stupid and damned my own brown hair

Forgetting that the price you pay must far exceed the share

Someone pulled a knife out and they stabbed me in the back

They tied my hands and bound my feet and threw me in a sack

They took me to a lakeside and they threw my body in

I could hear them laughing, they said you can sink or swim

Sink or swim

So hear you desperate women and hear you desperate men

Don't take your life for granted

Don't live your life in vain

But if you think that you can change it,

Hope you know you ain't go back

Just go down to the lakeside

Watch me floating in a sack,

In this sack.