Ticker Tape Blues

Monday morning, coffee's black, screen comes on alive Felt a whisper of a promise, thought my stocks would thrive Saw the futures looking rosy, let a little smile show Then the opening bell rang, and the wind began to blow Dropped a point, then ten, then twenty, like a stone in a deep well My old friend Mr. Market had a brand new tale to tell Oh, I got the Ticker Tape Blues, a heartache deep and wide Every time that arrow's red, a little piece of me has died And when it turns to green, Lord, it's a miracle to see But I know that sweet illusion ain't long for me

Just a dance of bulls and bears on a cold, indifferent screen Tuesday came and went so fast, a blur of panicked calls Felt my stomach turn to water, staring at these walls Wednesday whispered sweet revenge, a rumor, a hot tip I bought in on the rumor, with a prayer upon my lip Watched it climb for half an hour, thought my luck had turned around Then it fell right off a cliff without a single sound Oh, I got the Ticker Tape Blues, a heartache deep and wide Every time that arrow's red, a little piece of me has died And when it turns to green, Lord, it's a miracle to see

But I know that sweet illusion ain't long for me Just a dance of bulls and bears on a cold, indifferent screen Thirty years I've watched this game, seen the bubbles and the busts Turned good men into beggars, turned their confidence to dust It'll give you just enough to make you think you've got it beat Then it'll pull the rug right out from underneath your feet It's a lover and a liar, it's a blessing and a curse And every single Friday, I just wonder which is worse Thursday, a dead cat bounce, a little gasp of air Clawed back half of what I lost, pulled myself out of despair

Felt that old familiar feeling, that dangerous kind of hope Like a man who's learned to balance on a fraying, slippery rope Friday's closing bell is ringing, and I'm just about flat Guess I'll do it all again, now what do you think of that? Oh, I got the Ticker Tape Blues, a heartache deep and wide Every time that arrow's red, a little piece of me has died And when it turns to green, Lord, it's a miracle to see But I know that sweet illusion ain't long for me Just a dance of bulls and bears on a cold, indifferent screen