Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Richard Thompson
Canonical path: /richard-thompson/can-t-win
Related lyric paths: 6
Video embedded: yes
Lyric guide
Can't Win
Read Can't Win lyrics by Richard Thompson on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
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Curated by Ethan Walker
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Lyrics
Can't Win
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I started to cry, they put gin in my cup
I started to crawl, and they swaddled me up
I got up and run, they said "Easy, son,
Play up, play the game"
They told me to think and forget what I'd heard
They told me to lie and they questioned my word
They told me to fail, better sink than sail,
Just play the game
Oh, towers will tumble and locusts will visit the land
Oh, a curse on your house and your children and the fruit of your hand
They said "You can't win. You can't win.
You sweat blood. You give in.
You can't win. You can't win.
Turn the cheek. Take it on the chin.
Don't you dare do this. Don't you dare do that"
We shoot down dreams, we stiletto in the back
Oh the nerve of some people, the nerve of some people,
The nerve of some
I don't know who you think you are, who you think you are
Oh what kind of mother would hamstring her sons?
Throw sand in their eyes and put ice on their tongues
Ah better to leave than stay here and grieve
And play the game
Don't waken the dead as you sleepwalk around
If you have a dream, brother, hush, not a sound
Just stand there and rust, die if you must
But play the game
Oh, if we can't have it, why should a wretch like you?
Oh, it was drilled in our heads, now we drill it into your head too.
They said "You can't win. You can't win.
You sweat blood. You give in.
You can't win. You can't win.
Turn the cheek. Take it on the chin.
Don't you dare do this. Don't you dare do that"
We shoot down dreams, we stiletto in the back
Oh, the nerve of some people, the nerve of some people,
The nerve of some people
I don't know who you think you are
The nerve of some people, the nerve of some people
The nerve of some people, the nerve of some people
The nerve of some people, the nerve of some people
The nerve of some people, the nerve of some people
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Who performs "Can't Win"?
Richard Thompson performs "Can't Win", and this lyric page sits inside the Richard Thompson catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Can't Win"?
Yes. The related section below points to Bogie's bonnie belle and A heart needs a home with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Richard Thompson?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Richard Thompson's lyric pages.
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