I've a tale or two to tell you 
 But the booze just makes me slow 
 I could rack my brain remembering 
 But I guess maybe I'll just go 
    There's a method to my madness 
 There's a secret to this town 
 There's a reason why I'm still living here 
 Though I can't think of it right now   
 I made a promise when I left for the coast, twenty long years ago 
 I made a life out of chasing a ghost, twenty years takes its toll   
 I got along for a while, I guess, but it took everything I had 
 I gotta find a way out of this mess 
 I'm in trouble and it sure looks bad   
 I've a thought or two to share with you 
 But the dope tends to cloud my mind 
 I destroyed my health searching for myself 
 But there ain't nothing there to find   
 There's a debt or two I owe you 
 But the gambling left me poor 
 I put up my name in the sacred game 
 And forgot what I was playing for   
 I made a promise when I left for the coast, twenty long years ago 
 I made a life out of chasing a ghost, twenty years takes its toll   
 I got along for a while, I guess, but it took everything I had 
 I gotta find a way out of this mess 
 I'm in trouble and it sure looks bad   
 I gotta find a way out of this mess 
 I'm in trouble and it sure looks bad 
 I gotta find a way out of this mess 
 I went looking and it drove me mad   
 I gotta find a way out of this mess 
 I'm in trouble and it sure looks bad 
 I gotta find a way out of this mess 
 I ain't never seen you look so sad, yeah