You Think You Know What It Means

You're always thirsty
as you're leaving the house
you think you know what it means
with a taste of metal in your mouth
and last night's troubled dreams

on the littered sidewalk everything shifts
you think you know what it means
the wind blows, the fog lifts
and a baby looks at you and screams

you think you know what it means
a hint of terror in your eyes
you think you know what it means
that only a child can recognize
you don't know what it means
you don't know what it means

the conversation starts like this
you think you know what it means
"my back was turned, what'd I miss"
everything, or so it seems

death drops by and shakes your hand
you think you know what it means


and congratulates you on a job well done
it's good to have you on the team

you think you know what it means
to protect yourself from this corruption
you think you know what it means
but your day is one big interruption
and you don't know what it means
you don't know what it means

you love your lovely wife and child
you think you know what it means
your important papers are neatly filed
you've accumulated reams and reams

you think you know what it means
the words will be there when you need 'em
you think you know what it means
you better hire someone smart to read 'em
'cause you don't know what it means
you don't know what it means
you don't know what it means
© Mark Donato