The Darker Side of Me

As we pulled out of Milwaukee I could feel my head and back begin to sway
After riding thirteen hours I was ready to get my feet off of the train
Reminded of what happened in Wichita, St. Paul, and Abilene
Somewhere in the distance I was followed by the darker side of me

I stumbled through the city looking for a place that I could lay my head
But first I needed work because it’d been a couple days since I’ve been fed
On the shores of Lake Michigan I found a spot where I could finally breathe
I slept next to the water and I dreamt about the darker side of me

When I woke I found a fishing boat loading up it’s nets to meet the day
The captain walked up to me and offered me a job and a place to stay
He promised he’d feed me and I could sleep inside his boat when the day was done
I could feel the darkness fading as we sailed off in the early morning sun

The next two months were filled with the longest days that I had ever seen
The work was never ending and I barely had the time to eat or sleep
We hauled 400 pounds of salmon from the cold and frigid water everyday
After all my days of toiling I forgot about the darker side of me

When the season finally ended I went and asked the captain for my pay
When I walked into his office, he claimed he didn’t have a dime for me
He said I owed him money for sleeping inside his boat every night
When I heard the bogus charges I could feel the darkness churning deep inside

I closed the door behind me and offered him a chance to come clean
I’m here for all my money and I’m not the type of man that walks away
He laughed and spit at me and said there ain’t no way in hell im getting paid
But his laughter filled with silence as I introduced him to the darker side of me

As I pulled out of Milwaukee I could feel my head and back begin to sway
I’ll be riding thirteen hours and I’m ready to get my feet off of the train
Reminded of what happened in Gillsburg, Flagstaff, and Milwaukee
Somewhere in the distance I keep running from the darker side of me
If we meet inside a boxcar may you never see the darker side of me