It's so mean   It's crueler than your dreams   And it's worse than it seems   Add it up   Stick it in your cup   You're sure to get enough      It runneth over now   You can't complain no more   Your bones are cracking now   You'd better knuckle down      Life's so cheap   It's cheaper than it looks   You can't learn that from books   Stay in the house   Stay clear of what you fear   And you're old beyond your years      It runneth over now   You can't complain no more   Your bones are cracking now   You'd better knuckle down      You're leaving your long shadows   Leaning into space   And your hardscrabble life    Is written all over your face      Counterfeit   The bankroll that was his   Fist of change that was yours   A life so cheap   It was cheaper than it looked   You can learn that from books      It runneth over now   You can't complain no more   Your bones are cracking now   You'd better knuckle down      They'll leave you with a prayer book   And a pocket full of grace   And your hardscrabbled life   Is written all over your face      Life's so cheap Life's so cheap It's so mean   It's crueler than your dreams   And it's worse than it seems   It's so mean   It's so mean   Whisper in my ear   Whisper in my ear   Whisper in the night   Whisper all the time   Life's so cheap