Texty: Emmylou Harris. Broken Man's Lament.

(Mark Germino)

I was once a broken man
I was once a broken fool
Lost my wife and children
To one basic broken rule
Now I live my life in silence
Though I'm not quite in a shell
I drink and listen to that song
A whiter shade of pale
Oh, a whiter shade of pale

I was a good shade tree mechanic
So I sent myself to school
They smoothed out my rough edges
In my hands they put new tools
The instructor once he told me
I could work on any line
I could tune and make a diesel sing
Just like Patsy Cline
Oh, just like Patsy Cline

Well, I met my wife to be
Through my mother's best friend son
She'd been a barroom singer
She was as good as anyone
But I asked her to stop singing
And the girl she did not flinch

Next day she went and bought that man
A brand new crescent wrench
Oh, a brand new crescent wrench

Well, we had three fine children
As eight years went on by
I learned to supervise a line
My knuckles stayed bone dry

But after supper I kept hearing her
By the kitchen radio
Singing sweet but desperate harmony
A little bit too low
Oh, a little bit too low

She left three months later
I'd just come home for lunch
The note said easy come hard go
But still love you much

She said I don't know if I'll be back
Or if you'll want me if I come
But if and when that happens, dear
You better let my sweet dream run
Oh, let my sweet dream run

I was a good shade tree mechanic
So I sent myself to school
They smoothed out my rough edges
In my hands they put new tools
The instructor once he told me
I could work on any line
But now a diesel ain't the only thing
Can sing like Patsy Cline
Oh, can sing like Patsy Cline

I was once a broken man
I was once a broken fool
Lost my wife and children
To one basic broken rule
Now I live my life in silence
Though I'm not quite in a shell
I drink and listen to that song
A whiter shade of pale
Oh, a whiter shade of pale