The year is 1915   When Regret won the derby   And the war was on      They say   It must have struck a vein   The bullet lodged in his brain   Oh, and he'll never be the same      And Paul Kern can't sleep   He can't afford his whisky peat   And Paul Kern can't sleep    A wink      The year 1930   And Paul made the dailies   For 15 years he'd been awake   And it turned international fame      And by 1945   30 years without shuteye   Paul was still alive   Then the fatigue had finally set in      'Cause Paul Kern can't sleep   And he can't afford his whisky peat   And Paul Kern can't sleep    A wink      Oh [6x]       Well Paul Kern can't sleep   For fifteen years he counted sheep   And Paul Kern can't sleep    A wink   A wink   A wink