R.E.M. — How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us

[Verse 1] Blood from a stone, water from wine Born under an ill-placed sign A stroke of bad luck, wrong place, wrong time This flyer is out of line [Chorus] The story is a sad one, told many times The story of my life in trying times Just add water, stir in lime How the west was won and where it got us, ah [Verse 2] The canary got trapped in the uranium mine A stroke of bad luck, now the bird has died A marker to mark where my tears run dry I cross it, bless it, alkaline [Chorus] The story is a sad one, told many times The story of my life in trying times Just add water, stir in lime How the west was won and where it got us, ah [Verse 3] I didn't wear glasses 'cause I thought it might rain Now I can't see anything I made a mistake, chalked it up to design I cracked through time-space, godless and dry I point my nose to the northern star And watch the decline from a hazy distance [Chorus] The story is a sad one, told many times The story of my life in trying times Just add water, stir in lime How the west was won and where it got us, ah