Bluebird

there's a bluebird in my heart that, wants to get out
but I'm too tough for him

I say, stay in there, I'm not going
to let anybody see you

there's a bluebird in my heart that, wants to get out,

but I pur whiskey on him and inhale cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders and the grocery clerks
never know that he's in there

there's a bluebird in my heart that, wants to get out
but I'm too tough for him

I say, stay down, do you want to mess me up?
you want to screw up the works?
you want to blow my book sales in Europe?

here's a bluebird in my heart that, wants to get out

but I'm too clever,
I only let him out at night sometimes
when everybody's asleep

I say, I know that you're there, so don't be sad.
then I put him back, but he's singing a little in there
I haven't quite let him die.

and we sleep together like that
with our secret pact
and it's nice enough to make a man weep

But I don't weep, do you?

Bukowski