The Best of All Possible Worlds

"This world is the best of all possible worlds,
and everything in it is a necessary evil."
[F.H. Bradley]

I was runnin' thru the summer rain,
Trying to catch the evenin' train.
To kill that old familiar pain
Weavin' thru my tangled brain
I tipped my bottle back and
I smacked into a cop I didn't see.

That policeman said "Mister Cool,
If you ain't drunk, then you're a fool"
I said "If that's against the law,
Then tell me why I never saw
A man locked in this jail of yours
Who wasn't just as low down poor as me?"


And that's just when someone turned out the lights
And I wound up in jail to spend the night
And dream of all the wine and lonely girls
In this best of all possible worlds.


Well I woke up next mornin'
Feelin' like my head was gone
And like my thick old tongue was lickin'
Something sick and wrong
I told that man "I'd sell my soul
For something wet and cold as that old cell"

That kindly jailer grinned at me
All eaten up with sympathy
Then poured himself another beer
And came and whispered in my ear
"If booze was just a dime a bottle boy,
You couldn't even buy the smell"

I said "I knew there was something
I liked about this town"
But it takes more than that
To bring me down
Cuz there's still a lot of wine and lonely girls
In this best of all possible worlds.


They finally came and told me
They was gonna set me free
And I'd be leavin' town if I
Knew what was good for me
I said "It's nice to learn that everybody's
So concerned about my health"

I said " I won't be leavin'
No more quicker than I can
'Cause I've enjoyed about
As much of this as I can stand
And I don't need this town of yours
More than I never needed nothin' else"


'Cause there's still a lot of drinks that I ain't drunk
Yes and lots of pretty thoughts that I ain't thunk
And there's still so many lonely, lonely girls
In this best of all possible worlds.

Words and Music by
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON