Afterthought Songtext
von Conor Oberst

I woke up this mornin′ still wearin' that tie
The one with the hammer and sickle design
Threw up all the pills my doctor prescribed
And went out to fetch me some air

The streets were so crowded with billboards and signs
Food trucks double parked in their parallel lines
I thought about breakfast but settled on wine
Always choose hunger over despair
And what′s possible over what's there

But it isn't as though we get what we want
No matter how hard or long we have fought
Oh my happiness is a mere afterthought
When I′m with her I keep it in mind
Then she leaves and I′ve run out of time

I sat down today in a high barber's chair
To hear the town gossip and clean up my hair
He said she was seen on the bus station stairs
With her suitcase threatenin′ to walk


Not sure how true it was but I'll hazard a guess
It′s probably not more and it's probably not less
If that college kid bookie was accepting bets
The brackets would mostly be chalk
Yeah it′s safe to assume that she's lost

But it isn't as though we get what we want
No matter how hard or long we have fought
Oh my happiness is a mere afterthought
When I′m with her I keep it in mind
Then she′s gone and I've run out of time

I can′t be concerned with the state that I'm in
At the height of the scandal with vertigo spins
Take every audition til I′m Errol Flynn
And bring it to life off the page

And I'll get up tomorrow still wearin′ that tie
The one with the skull and the crossbone designs
If I'm asked if I miss her it's easy to lie
In this world that′s called more of the same
Yeah I wouldn′t feel proud or ashamed

Cuz it isn't as though we get what we want
No matter how hard or long we have fought
Oh my happiness is a mere afterthought
When I′m with her I keep it in mind
Then she leaves and I've run out of time