Lyrics

(Verse 1)
The fridge is humming a funeral march
For a carton of milk and a wedge of starch
I checked the pockets of my winter coat
Found a button, a receipt, and a dusty note
That says "pay by Tuesday" in red ink scrawl
I'm staring at the shadows dancing on the wall
The landlord's knocking with a heavy hand
I'm the king of a patch of sinking sand.


(Chorus)
And I'm flat broke, bending like a willow in the gale
Living off the copper in a rusted-out pail
The needle's on empty, the spirit's worn thin
Waiting for a miracle to let me back in
Yeah, the meter's ticking and the lights are low
I'm a high-class ghost with nowhere to go
Just flat broke.


(Verse 2)
Saw a neon sign flickering "Easy Street"
But it's paved with stones that cut up your feet
I sold my watch for a pack of smokes
Now I'm laughing at all of the cosmic jokes
The bank sent a letter, said "sorry, no dice"
I'm paying for the sunshine at a premium price
My credit score is a ghost in the machine
The poorest soul that you've ever seen.


(Bridge)
They say that money isn't everything
But try buying bread with the songs that I sing
Try paying the heat with the rhythm of rain
Or washing away all this hunger and pain
It's a heavy kind of silence when your pockets are light
When the day starts worrying about the night.


(Guitar Solo - Slow, twangy, and melancholic)


(Chorus)
'Cause I'm flat broke, bending like a willow in the gale
Living off the copper in a rusted-out pail
The needle's on empty, the spirit's worn thin
Waiting for a miracle to let me back in
Yeah, the meter's ticking and the lights are low
I'm a high-class ghost with nowhere to go
Just flat broke.


(Outro)
Yeah, empty as a prayer in a crowded room
Just sweeping up the dust with a broken broom
Nothing left to lose, but nothing left to hold
Just gathering the shivers from the coming cold.
Flat broke.