Broken Man's Lament

I was once a broken man I was once a broken fool Lost my wife and children To one basic broken rule Now I live my life in silence Though I'm not quite in a shell I drink and listen to that song A whiter shade of pale Oh, a whiter shade of pale I was a good shadetree mechanic So, I sent myself to school They smoothed out my rough edges In my hands they put new tools The instructor once he told me I could work on any line I could tune and make a diesel sing Just like Patsy Cline Oh, just like Patsy Cline Well I met my wife to be Through my mother's best friend's son She'd been a bar room singer She was as good as anyone But I ask her to stop singing And the girl she did not flinch Next day she went and bought that man A brand new crescent wrench, oh Oh, a brand new crescent wrench We had three fine children As eight years went on by I learned a supervisor's line My knuckles stayed bone dry But after supper I kept hearin' her By the kitchen radio Singing sweet but desperate harmony A little bit too low, oh A little bit too low She left three months later I'd just come home for lunch Note said "Easy come, hard go" I still love you so much She said I don't know if I'll be there Or if you'll want me when I come But if and when that happens, dear You better Let my sweet dream run, oh Let my sweet dream run Oh, oh, oh, oh I was a good shadetree mechanic So I sent myself to school They smoothed out my rough edges In my hands they put new tools The instructor once he told me I could work on any line But now the diesels aren't the only thing That sing like Patsy Cline, oh Sing like Patsy Cline I was once a broken man I was once a broken fool Lost my wife and children To one basic broken rule Now I live my life in silence Though I'm not quite in a shell Drink and listen to that song A whiter shade of pale Oh, a whiter shade of pale Oh, a whiter shade of pale Oh, a whiter shade of pale --- Broken Man's Lament - Emmylou Harris