Utah Phillips Follow

All Used Up
Utah Phillips

I spent my whole life making somebody rich
I busted my ass for that son of a bitch
and he left me to die like a dog in a ditch
and told me I'm all used up
he used up my labor he used up my time
he plundered my body an squanered my mind
and gave me a pension of handouts an wine
an told me I'm all used up

my kids are in hock to a God called work
slavin their lives out for some other jerk
my youngest in frisco just made shipping clerk
an he don't know I'm all used up
young people reaching for power an gold
don't have any respect for anything old
for pennies they're bought and promises sold
someday they'll all be used up

they use up the oil they use up the trees
they use up the air an they use up the seas
well how bout you friend an how bout me
what's left when we're all used up
I'll finish my life in this crummy hotel
It's lousy with bugs and my God what a smell
but my plumbin still works an I'm clear as a bell
Don't tell me I'm all used up

outside my window the world passes by
it gives me a handout an spits in my eye
an no one can tell me cause no one knows why
I'm livin but I'm all used up
sometimes in my dreams I sit by a tree
my life is a book of how things used to be
an kids gather round an they listen to me
an they don't think I'm all used up

an there's songs an there's laughter an things I can do
an all that I've learned I can give back to you
I'd give my last breath just to make it come true
no I'm not all used up
they use up the oil they use up the trees
they use up the air an they use up the seas
well how bout you friend an how bout me
what's left when we're all used up

I got this song from a little red book called: "IWW Songs
to fan the flames of discontent"