I was in a bar called Paradise When the fiddler from the band Asked me "Why do you stand there crying?" I answered him: "Musician, this may come as a surprise I was trying to split the difference And it split before my eyes And my enemies have sweet voices Their tones are soft and kind When I hear my heart rejoices I do not seem to mind" I was playing Brag in Bedlam And the doctor would not deal Asking me: "Why do you kneel down there bleeding?" I answered him "Physician, I think you would have cried I was falling back on failure The failure stepped aside And my enemies have sweet voices Their tones are soft and kind When I hear my heart rejoices I do not seem to mind" I was blind side to the gutter And Merlin happened by Asking me "why do you lie down there bleeding?" I answered him "Magician, as a matter of a fact I was jumping to conclusions And one of them jumped back And my enemies have sweet voices Their tones are soft and kind When I hear my heart rejoices I do not seem to mind"