It Once Was My Life Van Morrison

[Verse 1]
There were people on the sidewalks (Sidewalks)
Strolling down the avenues (Avenues)
They were sitting outside in cafes (Cafes)
We were looking for the muse (For the muse)
Well I was locked in by the system (Ooh)
Where no freedom is the rule
Now I spend all my time (All my time)
Just trying to make it understood (Understood)

[Verse 2]
It once was my life (Was my life)
That's what everybody said (Everybody said)
All the things I used to do (Used to do)
And the people that were friends (That were friends)
I've got to make it mean something (Ooh)
At the end of the day
It once was my life (Was my life)
They can't take that away (That away)

[Bridge]
Trials and tribulations and stupidity still rules
Sometimes it looks like I'm on a ship of fools

[Verse 3]
It once was my life (Was my life)
When my message was just the street (Just the street)
Then it became something else (Something else)
And now it's incomplete (Incomplete)
I'm just trying to get back to when (Ooh)
Can somebody please shed some light?
It used to be my life (Be my life)
It used to be uptight (Be uptight)