Optimism’s Not a Crime

Tin-can messiah Television grin Selling Armageddon For a dollar to get in Tuesday wears a gas mask Thursday waves a flag Friday sells the ending In a plastic bag Every little blue light Says the sky is coming down But the milk is on the doorstep And the buses cross the town The screen says no tomorrow But the sun don’t read the news If you came to sell me sorrow I’ve got better things to do Hold that line Optimism’s not a crime These are hard times, honey But we’re doing all right The sky’s been falling down Since the dawn of time These are hard times, honey But it’s good to be alive Dallas in November Memphis in the rain Bobby by the coffee cups Never home again Chosin froze the bugle Saigon burned the screen Baghdad bloomed electric In phosphorescent green Plague-cart bells were ringing Breaker boys dug coal Every age puts lipstick On the devil that it knows Names and flags keep changing But the fever stays the same We pin medals on the memory So nobody takes the blame Hold that line Optimism’s not a crime These are hard times, honey But we’re doing all right The sky’s been falling down Since the dawn of time These are hard times, honey But it’s good to be alive The good old days were never that good Blackout blinds in the neighborhood Breadline boots and victory news The good old days had blood on their shoes Somebody’s baking the morning bread Somebody’s falling in love instead Turn down the prophets, turn up the band The end of the world’s been postponed again Hold that line Optimism’s not a crime These are hard times, honey But we’re doing all right The sky’s been falling down Since the dawn of time These are hard times, honey But it’s good to be alive Not the best Not the worst Take a breath Let the old world turn Hard times, honey And we’re still doin' fine