How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us by R.E.M. Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Blood from a stone, water from wine
Born under an ill-placed sign
A stroke of bad luck, wrong place, wrong time
This flyer is out of line

[Chorus]
The story is a sad one, told many times
The story of my life in trying times
Just add water, stir in lime
How the west was won and where it got us, ah

[Verse 2]
The canary got trapped in the uranium mine
A stroke of bad luck, now the bird has died
A marker to mark where my tears run dry
I cross it, bless it, alkaline

[Chorus]
The story is a sad one, told many times
The story of my life in trying times
Just add water, stir in lime
How the west was won and where it got us, ah
[Verse 3]
I didn't wear glasses 'cause I thought it might rain
Now I can't see anything
I made a mistake, chalked it up to design
I cracked through time-space, godless and dry
I point my nose to the northern star
And watch the decline from a hazy distance

[Chorus]
The story is a sad one, told many times
The story of my life in trying times
Just add water, stir in lime
How the west was won and where it got us, ah