Dignity
Robyn Hitchcock Lyrics

Fat man lookin' in a blade of steel
An overweight man gazing at his reflection in a sharp piece of metal, seeking dignity

Thin man lookin' at his last meal
A skinny man contemplating his final feast, hoping to find dignity

Hollow man lookin' in a cottonfield For dignity
A soulless man staring into a field of white fluff, searching for dignity

Wise man lookin' in a blade of grass
An intelligent man examining a slender piece of greenery, pursuing dignity

Young man lookin' in the shadows that pass
A youthful man observing passing scrims of shade, chasing dignity

Poor man lookin' through painted glass For dignity
An impoverished man inspecting colorful glass, seeking dignity

Somebody got murdered on New Year's Eve Somebody said dignity was the first to leave
A murder occurred on New Year's Eve, and rumors claim that dignity was the first victim

I went into the city, went into the town Went into the land of the midnight sun
The artist traveled to different places, including a city, a town, and a region where the sun never sets

Searchin' high, searchin' low Searchin' everywhere I know Askin' the cops wherever I go Have you seen dignity?
The artist is scouring high and low, asking everyone he meets, including the police, if they have sighted dignity

Blind man breakin' out of a trance Puts both his hands in the pockets of chance Hopin' to find one circumstance Of dignity
A blind man reawakens, putting his hands in the pockets of an uncertain future, and wishes for a chance encounter with dignity

I went to the wedding of Mary-lou She said "I don't want nobody see me talkin' to you" Said she could get killed if she told me what she knew About dignity
The singer attended Mary-lou's wedding, and she begged him to keep their conversation secret since she fears for her life if she shares what she knows about dignity

I went down where the vultures feed I would've got deeper, but there wasn't any need Heard the tongues of angels and the tongues of men Wasn't any difference to me
The artist went where scavengers gather, but didn't go further since he heard celestial and earthly voices that sound the same to him

Chilly wind sharp as a razor blade House on fire, debts unpaid Gonna stand at the window, gonna ask the maid Have you seen dignity?
A frigid gust that feels like a blade whistles by, with a house ablaze and bills unsettled; the singer stands by the window and queries the maid if she has spotted dignity

Drinkin' man listens to the voice he hears In a crowded room full of covered up mirrors Lookin' into the lost forgotten years For dignity
A man who drinks to excess hearkens to a voice, within a chamber of concealed reflectors, reviewing bygone days for dignity

Met Prince Phillip at the home of the blues Said he'd give me information if his name wasn't used He wanted money up front, said he was abused By dignity
The singer meets Prince Phillip at a place that evokes melancholy music, and Phillip agrees to impart information under the condition of anonymity and compensation; he claims to have been harmed by dignity

Footprints runnin' cross the silver sand Steps goin' down into tattoo land I met the sons of darkness and the sons of light In the bordertowns of despair
Steps visible over the shiny sand, heading towards a locale of illustrations on skin; the artist encounters both virtuous and wicked people in wretched border communities

Got no place to fade, got no coat I'm on the rollin' river in a jerkin' boat Tryin' to read a note somebody wrote About dignity
The artist can't hide nor protect himself, traveling on a drifting vessel over running water struggling to read a message someone wrote concerning dignity

Sick man lookin' for the doctor's cure Lookin' at his hands for the lines that were And into every masterpiece of literature For dignity
An ill man searching for a physician's remedy examines his palms for marks from the past, and studies masterful works of writing for signs of dignity

Englishman stranded in the blackheart wind Combin' his hair back, his future looks thin Bites the bullet and he looks within For dignity
An Englishman marooned in a dark-hearted gale combing his hair, feeling his prospects are bleak, but gritting his teeth and probing his inner self for dignity

Someone showed me a picture and I just laughed Dignity never been photographed I went into the red, went into the black Into the valley of dry bone dreams
A snapshot was presented to the artist, and he guffawed because dignity can't be captured in an image; he then visits places where debts accumulate and explores a zone with no hope

So many roads, so much at stake So many dead ends, I'm at the edge of the lake Sometimes I wonder what it's gonna take To find dignity
Numerous paths and risk lie ahead, along with various fruitless conclusions; the artist exists by a water basin; he ponders what it will require to locate dignity