Lyrics

the town's luck has changed cause the shovel struck oil
skyline’s rising and the fringe goes gray
sun lies down at the dark end of town
where the old school fell, the bank is a shell
eighty seven you can see it in my face
pedaling west a dull pain in my chest
the chain needs oil and these old wool pants
furl and flap in the turbulence

I hate to let you down
I hate to let you down…

don't hear birds the way I used to do
blew out my ears back in '42
I was home on this range then traffic changed
muddy half tons born to hit and run
the crash is masked by local power tools
my bike is all bent and thrown up on the lawn
beside the Safeway, red aprons on
they're throwing out the flowers that nobody bought

I hate to let you down
I hate to let you down…

jack rabbits in the parking lot
coyotes at the last bus stop
and the sun’s gone down
once I lay in the mud for days
in sheets of rain and a gun smoke haze
and I sang the phrase

I'd hate to let you down boys
I'd hate to let you down

this green and wild tundra and shield
ground up and spat out like the battlefield
that I never wanted to see again
I never wanted to see again
but now I can ride till the wasteland ends
now I can ride till the wasteland ends