It was I
Poor as a baby and twice the fool
Feral and rude
The song that I sing
It is a tune in the key of
A young man with means

It was I
Bothered to witness
And pained to see
With two failing knees
Well into her age
Every morning my grandmother
Would work for a wage

It's a cold blooded tale
Here's the last coffin nail

So long to a life carefree
It's passing by with each year or three
I'll call it aloud
I'll call it by name
The young and the vain
They are one and the same

It was I
Weathered, and battered
And compromised
Dull in the eyes
The song that I sung
It is the melody of one who longs to be young

It's a cold blooded tale
Here's the last coffin nail

So long to a life carefree
It's passing by with each year or three
I'll call it aloud
I'll call it by name
Beauty and loss
They are one and the same