Room Without A View

He said his name was Charlie

His father's only son

I'd known him since the very day

That he turned 21

He climbed up on that barstool

As if to make a point

And said just keep 'em coming

Till it's time to close this joint

Third stool from the left is where

He camped out every night

Stack of quarters for the jukebox

And a pack of Camel Lights

When young men chase the golden glow

That comes with that first hit

You let 'em go cause then you know

He's never gonna quit

He said it's hard to be a cowboy

In a city without stars

There's no room to rope and wrangle

In these windy city bars

When you wind up in the drunk tank

Like I so often do

It's hard to see the future

From a room without a view

Poor me pour me another

It was death by misadventure

In the dark before the dawn

Nobody ever figured out

Exactly what went wrong

When you're feeling round for answers

It's hard to get a grip

Somebody said they'd found him

With a six-month sober chip

I remember he once told me

He was blue blood to the core

I said I didn't doubt it

As he staggered out the door

If you've ever seen a young man

Growing old before your eyes

It'll make you want to quit this job

Before the next one dies

He said it's hard to be a has been

When you've never been at all

There's no great expectations

In the land of no last call

Face down on a flop house floor

Won't make much sense to you

But you don't have to face the future

From a room without a view

Poor me pour me another