Now, I'd seen him despondent a few times as of late,
Sometimes the answer that love gives is the hardest one to take,
I know he was prone to paint the voice of his own fear,
So Vincent, he picked up the blade and he put it to his ear.

Look at yourself in the mirror; you're all rumpled, red, stubbled and gaunt,
You walk a dead end path in a dry corn field...and now this morose response,
Your princess, she don't wanna see you,
No, your princess, she don't wanna hear,
So Vincent, he picked up the blade, he put it to his ear.

Now look, if you're gonna come around here and say those sort of things, you gotta take a few on the chin,
You're talking about love and all that stuff, you better bring your thickest skin,
Sometimes you can't please everyone; sometimes you can't please anyone at all,
You sew your heart onto your sleeve and wait for the axe to fall.

You there, with the paint box,
You there, with paper and pen,
Me, I got this blunt instrument; I'm gonna play on 'til the end,
And you know you come with empty hands or you don't come at all,
You deal your best hand out in the marketplace and let the chips fall,
The package, it comes wrapped up - there is a lesson here,
Vincent, he picked up the blade and he put it to his ear.

Now look, if you're gonna come around here and say those sort of things, you gotta take a few on the chin,
Yeah, you're talking about sin and redemption...well, you better wear your thickest skin,
Sometimes you can't please everyone; sometimes you can't please anyone at all,
You sew your heart onto your sleeve and wait for the axe to fall.