[Part I] [Verse 1] It was an early morning barroom and the place just opened up And the little man come in so fast and started at his cups And the broad who served the whisky She was a big old friendly girl And she tried to fight her empty nights by smilin' at the world And she said, "Hey Bub, it's been awhile since you been around Where the hell you been hidin', and why you look so down?" But the little man just sat there like he'd never heard a sound [Pre-Chorus] The waitress, she gave out with a cough And acting not the least put off She spoke once again [Chorus] She said, "I don't wanna bother you Consider it's understood I know I'm not no beauty queen But I sure can listen good" [Post-Chorus] And the little man took his drink in his hand And he raised it to his lips He took a couple of sips And he told the waitress this story [Part II] [Verse 2] I am the midnight watchman down at Miller's Tool and Die And I watch the metal rusting and I watch the time go by A week ago at the diner I stopped to get a bite And this here lovely lady, she sat two seats from my right And Lord, Lord, Lord she was alright [Verse 3] Oh, she was so damn beautiful that she'd warm a winter frost But she was long past lonely, and well nigh on to lost Now I'm not much of a mover or a pick-'em-up easy guy But I decided to glide on over and give her one good try And Lord, Lord, Lord she was worth a try [Verse 4] Tongued-tied like a schoolboy, I stammered out some words But it did not really matter much, 'cause I don't think she heard She just looked clear on through me to a space back in my head And it shamed me into silence as quietly she said [Chorus] "If you want me to come with you Then that's all right with me 'Cause I know I'm goin' nowhere And anywhere's a better place to be" [Post-Chorus] "Anywhere's a better place to be" [Verse 5] I drove her to my boarding house, and I took her up to my room And I went to turn on the only light to brighten up the gloom But she said, "Please leave the light off Oh, I don't mind the dark" And as her clothes all tumbled 'round her I could hear my heart [Verse 6] The moonlight shone upon her as she lay back in my bed It was the kind of scene I only had imagined in my head I just could not believe it, to think that she was real And as I tried to tell her, she said "Shhh.. I know just how you feel" [Chorus] "And if you want to come here with me Then that's all right with me 'Cause I've been oh, so lonely Lovin' someone is a better way to be" [Post-Chorus] "Anywhere's a better place to be" [Verse 7] The mornin' come so swiftly, but I held her in my arms But she slept like a baby, snug and safe from harm I did not want to share her with the world or break the mood So before she woke I went out and brought us both some food [Segue] I come back with my paper bag To find that she was gone She'd left a six-word letter Saying, "It's time that I moved on" [Part III] [Verse 8] The waitress took her bar rag and she wiped it across her eyes And as she spoke her voice came out as something like a sigh She said, "I wish that I was beautiful Or that you were halfway blind And I wish I weren't so doggone fat I wish that you were mine And I wish that you'd come with me when I leave for home For we both know all about loneliness and livin' all alone" [Pre-Chorus] And the little man Looked at the empty glass in his hand And he smiled a crooked grin He said, "I guess I'm outta gin And I know we both have been so lonely" [Chorus] "And if you want me to come with you Then that's all right with me 'Cause I know I'm goin' nowhere And anywhere's a better place to be"