I Knew a Man

I knew a boy, dreaming he was ten feet tall
lost on a one-way trip
bobbing and weaving in the thick of it all
down on that Sunset Strip
Buddy Miles was still Hollywood swinging
and the Rainbow still glittered like gold
and the last flower child was still singing somewhere
hopes he dies before he gets old

I knew a man who was drowning
and lost at sea
had chains wrapped around him
pulling him down to the deep
it took the hand of a good woman
to set that man free
thank you baby
cause that man was me

and the boy, he got older
like most of us did
but some of us fell by the side
battered old soldiers actin' like kids
hangin' on, a hell of a ride
and the party's still goin' on somewhere
the candle still burns from both ends
but the boy he got lucky when he came up for air
reaching out, he grabbed a hand

I knew a man who was drowning
and was lost at sea
had chains wrapped around him
pulling him down to the deep
it took the hand of a good woman
to set that man free
thank you baby
cause that man was me
thank you baby
cause that man was me