I was runnin' through the summer rain tryin' to catch the evenin' train
And kill that old familiar pain weavin' through my tangled brain
When I tipped my bottle back I smacked into a cop I didn't see

That policeman said, "Mr. Cool it you ain't drunk then you're a fool"
I said, "If that's against the law tell me why I never saw
A man locked in that jail of yours who wasn't just as lowdown poor as me"

Well that was when someone turned out the lights
And I wound up in jail to spend the night
And dream of all the wine and lonely girls
In this best of all possible worlds

Well I woke up next morning feelin' like my head was gone
And like my thick old tongue was lickin' somethin' sick and wrong
And I told that man I'd sell my soul if somethin' wet and cold is that old cell

That kindly jailer grinned at me all eaten up with sympathy
Then bought himself another beer and came and whispered in my ear
"That booze was just a dime a bottle boy you couldn't even buy the smell"

I said, "I knew there was somethin' I liked about this town
But it takes more than that to bring me down, down, down
'Cause there's still a lot of wine and lonely girls
In this best of all possible worlds"

Well they finally came and told me they was a gonna set me free
And I'd be leavin' town if I knew what was good for me
I said, "It's nice to learn that everybody's so concerned about my health"

I said, "I won't be leavin' no more quicker than I can
'Cause I've enjoyed about this much of this as I can stand
And I don't need this town of yours more
Than I've never needed nothing else"

'Cause there's still a lotta drinks that I ain't drunk
Lots of pretty thoughts that I ain't thought oh yeah
Lord there's still so many lonely girls
In this best of all possible worlds