Rehearsals for Retirement Phil Ochs

[Verse 1]
The days grow longer for smaller prizes
I feel a stranger to all surprises
You can have them, I don't want them
I wear a different kind of garment
In my rehearsals for retirement

[Verse 2]
The lights are cold again, they dance below me
I turn to old friends, they do not know me
All but the beggar, he remembers
I put a penny down for payment
In my rehearsals for retirement

[Bridge]
If I'd have known the end would end in laughter
I'd tell my daughter it doesn't matter

[Verse 3]
The stage is tainted with empty voices
The ladies painted, they have no choices
I take my colors from the stable
They lie in tatters by the tournament
In my rehearsals for retirement

[Verse 4]
Where are the armies who killed a country
And turned a strong man into a baby?
Now comes the rabble, they are welcome
I wait in anger and amusement
In my rehearsals for retirement