I stopped into a club 
I thought I'd see a show 
Everyone was there 
At least everyone I know 
Their knickers in a knot 
Their hands upon their heart 
The best they'd ever seen 
The greatest work of art 
I wished that it was me.... 

It's bleaker than you think 
I'm running out of ink 
Give a guy a break 
This is what it takes 
To drive a man to drink 

A party at a friend's 
Toronto's coolest scene 
I thought I'd bring a tape 
To show them where I'd been 
And listen for a while 
The lyrics made them smile 
They said that it was fine 
Although it's not the style 
I said it wasn't me 

Once upon a time 
I couldn't get enough 
Until I made it big 
And that's when it got rough 
Dissapointed now 
Perhaps a bit surprised 
To look them in the face 
And see it in their eyes 
They wish it wasn't me 

It's bleaker than you think 
I'm running out of ink 
Give a guy a break 
This is what it takes 
To drive a man to drink 

I used to hold you close 
You used to tell me things 
You never told a soul 
Until you heard me sing 
The details of your life 
Condensed into a song 
The neighbor and his wife 
Work out and sing along 
And you can't look at me 

It's bleaker than you think 
I'm running out of ink 
Give a guy a break 
This is what it takes 
To drive a man to drink 

Could song be an alibi 
A lyric replacement for falling in love 
But now that the well is dry 
I can't understand what I've been singing of... 

Do you know what it is to love? 
To really love? 
To really love.... 
Do I? 

I cycled by your house 
I saw you on the lawn 
I see you all the time 
Now that you are gone 
I tried to call your name 
But something made me stop 
I call you once a day 
Until you call the cops 
And told them it was me 

I filled a plastic bag 
with everything I wrote 
I threw it off a bridge 
and thought that it would float. 
The water made it sink 
the bag was bleeding ink. 
I wished that I could swim 
I wished that I could drink 
I wished that it was me. 

It's bleaker than you think 
I'm running out of ink 
Give a guy a break 
This is what it takes 
To drive a man to drink 
I'm running out of ink 
Give a guy a break 
This is what it takes 
To drive a man to drink 
To drive a man to drink 
To drive a man to drink