Up to Me

Everythin' went from bad to worse,

Money never changed a thing,

Death kept followin', trackin' us down,

At least I heard your bluebird sing.

Now somebody's got to show their hand,

Time is an enemy,

I know you're long gone,

I guess it must be up to me.

If I'd thought about it

I never would've done it,

I guess I would've let it slide,

If I'd lived my life

By what others were thinkin',

The heart inside me would've died.

I was just too stubborn

To ever be governed

By enforced insanity,

Someone had to reach

For the risin' star,

I guess it was up to me.

Oh, the Union Central is pullin' out

And the orchids are in bloom,

I've only got me

One good shirt left

And it smells of stale perfume.

In fourteen months

I've only smiled once

And I didn't do it consciously,

Somebody's got to find your trail,

I guess it must be up to me.

It was like a revelation

When you betrayed me with your touch,

I'd just about convinced myself

That nothin' had changed that much.

The old Rounder in the iron mask

Slipped me the master key,

Somebody had to unlock your heart,

He said it was up to me.

Well, I watched you slowly disappear

Down into the officers' club,

I would've followed you in the door

But I didn't have a ticket stub.

So I waited all night

'Til the break of day,

Hopin' one of us could get free,

When the dawn came over the river bridge,

I knew it was up to me.

Oh, the only decent thing I did

When I worked as a postal clerk

Was to haul your picture down off the wall

Near the cage where I used to work.

Was I a fool or not

To try to protect your identity?

You looked a little

Burned out, my friend,

I thought it might be up to me.

Well, I met somebody face to face

And I had to remove my hat,

She's everything I need