Walking around the happiest place in the world But all I do is wonder if your hair's still curled South of Brownsville, Texas, south of Miami Beach But all it means to me is that you're further out of reach Everywhere is sand and sun blue sky, water too I need you The Spanish moss is hanging and you find a polished stone You pocket it for luck and then you walk on alone They'll rent you a bicycle with the tires blown They'll cook you up a blackened fish and strip it to the bone A slave ship just came in, I been talking to the crew I need you In that house, Hemingway is boxing in the back I go down to the library and check out all the facts Nowadays it's hard to write a line, my own thoughts bore me I found me an island kid who says he'll do it for me I'm wiping all my tears away so no one has a clue That I need you The last plane out of Saigon did not know that it was Every man in prison thinks he's locked up for a cause I need something to do my violin needs to sound I'm gonna see if Ernest wants to go a couple rounds Sometimes you get lost and you find something new I need you Some bird's flapping in the road on some crazy madman's string Something's messed up with his wing Something's messed up with my everything So here's the truth at last I tell you, Hemingway is dead And everybody wants to find a steak that's slightly red I thought I could escape myself by just not getting dressed I thought I could escape you by coming to Key West Sometimes you get lost and you don't find something new I need you