now i´m just a bartender
and i don´t like my work
but i don´t mind the money at all
i see lots of sad faces
and lots of bad cases
of folks with their backs to the wall

chorus:
but i need four walls around me to hold my life
to keep me from going a-stray
and a honky-tonk angel to hold me tight
to keep me from slipping away

i can light up your smokes
i can laugh at your jokes
i can watch you fall down on your knees
i can close down this bar
i can gas up my car
i can pack up and mail in my key

chorus:

now, the smoke fills the air
in this honky-tonk bar
and i´m thinking ´bout where i´d rather be
but i burned all my bridges
i sank all my ships
and i´m stranded at the edge of the sea

chorus: