Whistle While You Wait

When it's your first time in Tok and you're broke and just limping down the line

And it's forty below and you know that they know that you're a hopeful from Outside

And people speak distinctly as if you're foreign

And you forgot to plug your car in

And you're clearly overdressed, even for winter

And your self-assurance slowly starts to splinter

Oh it takes a little effort to keep your head on straight

To laugh as if you mean it, to whistle while you wait

It takes a little effort to warm up one more smile

To bear another stare, to brave another mile

When it's the first time you could get to West Hollywood and you're slathered in sunscreen

And you drive really slow, so you know that they know that you're another Joe with a dream

And you're wearing your old secondhand blue jeans

And you keep turning your head at limousines

And everybody else looks so damn pretty

And you're feelin' extra grungy and extra indie

Oh it takes a little effort to hold your head up straight

To dress just like you want to, to whistle while you wait

It takes a little effort to not avert your eyes

To trust that you belong there -- it might just be yourself that you surprise

And when you're hopelessly lost in downtown Austin and the crowd's too cool for words

And you don't wanna go but you know that they know you're one of thousands of songbirds

And you can't hardly be heard above the racket

'Cause everybody there is tryin' to hack it

And you've never been compelled to sleep outdoors yet

So you're feelin' all establishment and corporate

Oh it takes a little effort to keep your head on straight

To laugh and really mean it, to whistle while you wait

It takes a little effort to sometimes plug your ears

To play without pretensions, but also without fear

Because some of us will never quite feel the thrill of being safe in our own skin

When it's your first time around you might flounder a bit 'til you fit in

And although I do heartily admire

Folks whose natural graces seem inspired

I expect the truly confident are fewer

Than I am generally inclined to think

And it's worth a little effort to look 'em in the eye

To whistle while you're waiting, to flutter 'til you fly

Oh, it's worth a little effort and a lot of honesty

It's worth some work believing

It takes a little practice to learn to be