A Better Place to be lyrics

It was an early morning bar room

And the place just opened up

And the little man come in so fast and it

Started at his cups

And the broad who served the whiskey

She was a big old friendly girl

And tried to fight her empty nights

By smilin' at the world

And she said "Hey Bub, It's been awhile

Since you been around

Where the hell you been hidin'?

And why you look so down ?

The little man just sat there like he'd never heard a sound

The waitress she gave out with a cough

Acting not the least put off

She spoke once again

She said, "I don't want to bother you

Consider it's understood

I know I'm not no beauty queen

But I sure can listen good"

And the little man took his drink in his hand

And he raised it to his lips

He took a couple of sips

And he told that waitress this story

I am the midnight watchman down at Miller's Tool and Die

And I watch the metal rusting, I watch the time go by

A week ago at the Diner, I stopped to get a bite

And this here lovely lady she sat two seats from my right

And Lord, Lord, Lord

She was alright

You see, she was so damned beautiful she could warm a winter's frost

But she looked long past lonely, and well nigh kinda lost

Now I'm not much of a mover or a pick-em-up easy guy

But I decided to glide on over and give her one good try

And Lord, Lord, Lord

She was worth a try

And I was tongued-tied like a school boy

I stammered out some words

It did not seem to matter much 'cause I don't think she heard

She just looked clear on through me to a space back in my head

And it shamed me into silence, as quietly she said

'If you want me to come with you that's all right with me

'Cause I know I'm going nowhere and anywhere's a better place to be

Anywhere's a better place to be'

When I drove her to my boarding house and I took her up to my room

And I went to turn on the only light to brighten up the gloom

But she said, "Please leave the light off, oh, I don't mind the dark"

And as her clothes all tumbled 'round her, I could hear my heart

The moonlight shown upon her as she lay back in my bed

It was the kind of scene I only had imagined in my head

I just could not believe it, to think that she was real

And as I tried to tell her she said, "I know just how you feel

And if you want to come here with me that's all right with me

'Cause I've been oh so lonely, lovin' someone is a better way to be

Anywhere's a better way to be"

When the morning came so swiftly I held her in my arms

She slept like a baby, snug and safe from harm

I did not want to share her or dare to break the mood

So before she woke I went out to buy us both some food

I came back with my paper bag to find that she was gone

She'd left a six word letter saying, 'It's time that I moved on'

You know the waitress took her bar rag

And she wiped it across her eyes

And as she spoke her voice came out as something like a sigh

She said, "I wish that I was beautiful or that you were halfway blind

And I wish I weren't so goddamned fat, I wish that you were mine

And I wish that you'd come with me when I leave for home

For we both know all about emptiness and livin' all alone"

And the little man

Looked at the empty glass in his hand

And he smiled a crooked grin

He said, "I guess I'm out of gin

And I know we both have been so lonely

And if you want me to come with you that's all right with me

'Cause I know I'm goin' nowhere and anywhere's a better place to be'"

• Artist:Harry Chapin
• Album:Single 1973