every time i open my mouth i take off my clothes
and i’m raw and frostbitten from being exposed
i got red scabby hands
and purple scabby feet
and you can smell me comin from halfway down the street
i remember that old hotel had quite the smell where i would go to use the phone
between the doughnut shop and the pizza parlor where i learned to live alone
sweet sixteen and smiling
my way out of any jam
learning the ways of the world, oh my learning the ways of man
and i didn’t really want a baby and i guess that i had a choice but i just let it grow inside me that persistent little voice
i guess i got her off and running and then run off is what she did
and that’s part of what i think about i think about that kid
so now there’s nothing left to wish upon except the passing cars
the cacophony of city lights
is drowning out the stars
this park bench is a life boat
and the rest a big dark sea
and i’m just gonna lie here
til something comes and finds me
yeah i got this tired old face
still grinnin most of the time
just cuz it don’t have a better way to express what’s on its mind
and i got this running monologue entertaining in its outrage
and i’ve got the air of an animal that’s been living in a cage
every time i open my mouth i take off my clothes
and i’m raw and frostbitten from being exposed
i got red scabby hands
and purple scabby feet
and you can smell me comin from halfway down the street
Ani DiFranco Lyrics brought to you by danah boyd since 1995