Emmylou Harris - Broken Man's Lament

I was once a broken man
I was once a broken fool
Lost my wife and children
To one basic broken rule
Now I live my life in silence
Though I'm not quite in a shell
I drink and listen to that song
A whiter shade of pale
Oh, a whiter shade of pale

I was a good shadetree mechanic
So, I sent myself to school
They smoothed out my rough edges
In my hands they put new tools
The instructor once he told me
I could work on any line
I could tune and make a diesel sing
Just like Patsy Cline
Oh, just like Patsy Cline

Well I met my wife to be
Through my mother's best friend's son
She'd been a bar room singer
She was as good as anyone
But I ask her to stop singing
And the girl she did not flinch
Next day she went and bought that man
A brand new crescent wrench, oh
Oh, a brand new crescent wrench

We had three fine children
As eight years went on by
I learned a supervisor's line
My knuckles stayed bone dry
But after supper I kept hearin' her
By the kitchen radio
Singing sweet but desperate harmony
A little bit too low, oh
A little bit too low

She left three months later
I'd just come home for lunch
Note said "Easy come, hard go"
I still love you so much
She said I don't know if I'll be there
Or if you'll want me when I come
But if and when that happens, dear
You better
Let my sweet dream run, oh
Let my sweet dream run

Oh, oh, oh, oh

I was a good shadetree mechanic
So I sent myself to school
They smoothed out my rough edges
In my hands they put new tools
The instructor once he told me
I could work on any line
But now the diesels aren't the only thing
That sing like Patsy Cline, oh
Sing like Patsy Cline

I was once a broken man
I was once a broken fool
Lost my wife and children
To one basic broken rule
Now I live my life in silence
Though I'm not quite in a shell
Drink and listen to that song
A whiter shade of pale
Oh, a whiter shade of pale
Oh, a whiter shade of pale
Oh, a whiter shade of pale

Written by:
Mark Germino

Publisher:
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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