Text: Stan Ridgway. Snakebite. Throw It Away.

Bobby had a background
He'd done some prison time
He borrowed a police car
Drove it over the state line
His partner wore a red dress
She looked like Stubby Kaye
And when they finally caught 'em
Oh, she said to the DA
Chorus:
Throw it away
Oh, throw it away
There's nothin' left to do but throw it all away
Throw it away
Yeah, throw it away
There's nothin' left to do but throw it all away
Skies gettin' darker
Cloudburst comin' on
I've gotta clean my closet out
And move this thing along
Some things are gettin' hard to part with
Most have gotta go
Some memories can haunt your mind
Stored underground below
Chorus repeat
Walkin' down a highway
I stopped into a church
Heard an empty sermon
From a parrot on a perch
Slept under a bridge
Heard those big trucks haulin' freight
So many things to buy and sell
But none are worth the wait
Rang up the conciliere

Said to him "there's somethin' wrong"
He put me back on hold
And said he'd heard that radio song
Woke up at the hotel
In the Mussolini Suite
I tried to put my shoes on
But someone had stole my feet
I rang up that old bellboy
Said to him "there's somethin' wrong"
He put me back on hold
And said he'd heard that radio song
Chorus repeat
Shadows of the past
Keep messin' up my mind
Some mistakes I made
Some people I can't find
Where did the road get twisted?
And did I let you down?
But you never were a cowboy
And I ain't no radio clown
Tryin' to paint a picture
But blue turns into red
Some people have gone missing
Some people end up dead
Chasin' near the shadows
I'm just tryin' to stay in the light
I wonder sometimes if y'ever thought
I was ever right