Emmylou Harris – Broken Man's Lament lyrics

I was once a broken man
I was once a broken fool
Lost my wife and children
To one basic broken rule

Now I live my life in silence
Though I'm not quite in a shell
I drink and listen to that song -
"A Whiter Shade of Pale," Oh,
A Whiter Shade of Pale

I was a good shade-tree mechanic
So I sent myself to school
They smoothed out my rough edges
In my hand they put new tools

The instructor once he told me
I could work on any line
I could tune to make
A diesel sing...
Just like Patsy Cline, Oh,
Just Like Patsy Cline.

Well I met my wife to be
Through my mother's best friend's son
She'd been a barroom singer
She was as good as anyone

Well I asked her to stop singing
And the girl she did not flinch
Next day she went and bought that man
A brand new crescent wrench, Oh,
A brand new crescent wrench.

We had three fine children
As eight years went on by
And earned a supervising line
My knuckles stayed bone-dry

But after supper I kept hearing her
By the kitchen radio
Singing sweet, but desperate harmony
A little bit too low, Oh,
A little bit too low.

She left three months later
I'd just come home for lunch
Note said "Easy come, hard go.
"I still love you so much."

She said I don't know if I'll be there
Or if you'll want me when I come
But if and when that happens, dear,
You'd better let my sweet dream run, Oh,
Let my sweet dream run.

I was a good shade-tree mechanic
So I sent myself to school
They smoothed out my rough edges
In my hand they put new tools

The instructor once he told me
I could work on any line
But now my diesels aint the only thing
That sing like Patsy Cline, Oh,
Sing like Patsy Cline.

I was once a broken man
I was once a broken fool
Lost my wife and children
To one basic broken rule

Now I live my life in silence
Though I'm not quite in a shell
I drink and listen to that song - "A
Whiter Shade of Pale," Oh,
A Whiter Shade of Pale Oh,
A Whiter Shade of Pale Oh,
A Whiter Shade of Pale.