I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive
The Little Willies Lyrics

Well you're lookin' at a man that's gettin' kinda mad
The singer is frustrated with his constant string of bad luck.

I had lot's of luck but it's all been bad
Despite having previously experienced good fortune, the singer now feels like everything is going wrong.

No matter how I struggle and strive
No amount of effort or hard work can change the singer's circumstances.

I'll never get out of this world alive.
The artist is resigned to the fact that he will never be able to change his situation, and is ultimately doomed to die.

My fishin' pole's broke the creek is full of sand
Even his leisure activities are suffering due to his run of bad luck.

My woman run away with another man
The singer's romantic relationship has fallen apart, adding to his sense of frustration and loss.

A distant uncle passed away and left me quite a batch
The singer received an inheritance from a relative he was not close with.

And yes I was livin' high until that fatal day
The artist was enjoying his improved financial situation until he received some unexpected news.

A lawyer proved I wasn't born
The artist has experienced a surprising and potentially troubling legal revelation.

I was only hatched.
The artist was not legitimately born, according to the legal proceedings.

Ev'rything's agin' me and it's got me down
The singer feels like all the forces in his life are working against him.

If I jumped in the river I would prob'ly drown
The artist feels so hopeless that even suicide would not be a successful escape from his problems.

These shabby shoes I'm wearin' all
The singer's physical appearance and possessions reflect his poor state of being.

Are full of holes and nails
The singer's shoes are so worn out that they are literally falling apart.

And brother if I stepped on a worn out dime
The singer is so impoverished that he can tell the difference between heads and tails on a worn down coin just by stepping on it.

I'm not gonna worry wrinkles in my brow
The artist is so defeated and hopeless that he has stopped caring about how he looks or appears to others.

Cause nothin's ever gonna be alright now
The artist is not holding out hope for improvement or relief from his troubles.

I could buy a Sunday suit and it would leave me broke
Even if the singer were to try to dress up and present himself well, it would only further worsen his financial situation.

If it had two pair of pants I would burn the coat
The singer has reached a point of desperation where he is willing to destroy any possessions that do not seem immediately useful.

If it was rainin' gold I wouldn't stand a chance
Even in the event of an unlikely windfall, the artist's situation is so dire that he would be unable to take advantage of it.

I wouldn't have a pocket in my patched up pants
The artist's clothing is so worn out that he literally would not have a place to store any money or possessions he might acquire.

No matter how I struggle and strive
Reiterated for emphasis, the artist is fundamentally unable to escape his dire circumstances.

I'll never get out of this world alive.
Once again, the singer acknowledges that his death is inevitable and approaching rapidly.