Up to Me

Everythin' went from bad to worse,

Money never changed a thing,

Death kept followin', trackin' us down,

At least I heard your bluebird sing.

Now somebody's got to show their hand,

Time is an enemy,

I know you're long gone,

I guess it must be up to me.

If I'd thought about it

I never would've done it,

I guess I would've let it slide,

If I'd lived my life

By what others were thinkin',

The heart inside me would've died.

I was just too stubborn

To ever be governed

By enforced insanity,

Someone had to reach

For the risin' star,

I guess it was up to me.

Oh, the Union Central is pullin' out

And the orchids are in bloom,

I've only got me

One good shirt left

And it smells of stale perfume.

In fourteen months

I've only smiled once

And I didn't do it consciously,

Somebody's got to find your trail,

I guess it must be up to me.

It was like a revelation

When you betrayed me with your touch,

I'd just about convinced myself

That nothin' had changed that much.

The old Rounder in the iron mask

Slipped me the master key,

Somebody had to unlock your heart,

He said it was up to me.

Well, I watched you slowly disappear

Down into the officers' club,

I would've followed you in the door

But I didn't have a ticket stub.

So I waited all night

'Til the break of day,

Hopin' one of us could get free,

When the dawn came over the river bridge,

I knew it was up to me.

Oh, the only decent thing I did

When I worked as a postal clerk

Was to haul your picture down off the wall

Near the cage where I used to work.

Was I a fool or not

To try to protect your identity?

You looked a little

Burned out, my friend,

I thought it might be up to me.

Well, I met somebody face to face

And I had to remove my hat,

She's everything I need and love

But I can't be swayed by that.

It frightens me,

The awful truth of

How sweet life can be,

But she ain't a-gonna make me move,

I guess it must be up to me.

We heard the Sermon on the Mount

And I knew it was too complex,

It didn't amount to anything more

Than what the broken glass reflects.

When you bite off more

Than you can chew

You pay the penalty,

Somebody's got to tell the tale,

I guess it must be up to me.

Well, Dupree came in pimpin' tonight

To the Thunderbird Cafe,

Crystal wanted to talk to him,

I had to look the other way.

Well, I just can't rest

Without you, love,

I need your company,

But you ain't a-gonna cross the line,

I guess it must be up to me.

There's a note left in the bottle,

You can give it to Estelle,

She's the one

You been wond'rin' about,

But there's really

Nothin' much to tell.

We both heard voices for a while,

Now the rest is history,

Somebody's got to cry some tears,

I guess it must be up to me.

So go on, boys, and play your hands,

Life is a pantomime,

The ringleaders

From the county seat

Say you don't have all that much time.

And the girl with me

Behind the shades,

She ain't my property,

One of us has got to hit the road,

I guess it must be up to me.

And if we never meet again,

Baby, remember me,

How my lone guitar

Played sweet for you

That old-time melody.

And the harmonica around my neck,

I blew it for you, free,

No one else could play that tune,

You know it was up to me.