R.E.M. - How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us lyrics

Blood from a stone, water from wine
Born under an ill-placed sign
A stroke of bad luck, wrong place, wrong time
This flyer is out of line

The story is a sad one, told many times
The story of my life in trying times
Just add water, stir in lime
How the west was won and where it got us, ah

The canary got trapped in the uranium mine
A stroke of bad luck, now the bird has died
A marker to mark where my tears run dry
I cross it, bless it, alkaline

The story is a sad one, told many times
The story of my life in trying times
Just add water, stir in lime
How the west was won and where it got us, ah

I didn't wear glasses 'cause I
Thought it might rain
Now I can't see anything
I made a mistake, chalked it up to design
I cracked through time-space, godless and dry
I point my nose to the northern star
And watch the decline from a hazy distance

The story is a sad one, told many times
The story of my life in trying times
Just add water, stir in lime
How the west was won and where it got us, ah