Things I will only know when I'm dead

Well it's back to the drawing board I go again
With my last piece of paper, my fast-fading pen
My own fifteen minutes of fame never led
To things I will only know when I'm dead
Off came my head on a cold stumbling block
Wobbling around and still suffering from shock
I've spent too much time thinking in bed
Of things I will only know when I'm dead

The reason for thinking at all's been forgotten
Something in the state of my mind has gone rotten
Hoping that maybe some light might be shed
On things I will only know when I'm dead

Well I'm damned if I do and i'm damned if I don't
Steal all my songs from some other unknown
Some other scribe who's been filling his head
With things I will only know if I'm dead
Wrapped in confusion my answers still hurried
The help of much wiser men long since buried
The ghosts of immortals laughing instead
Of telling me things I will only know when I'm dead

The reason for thinking at all's been forgotten
Something in the state of my mind has gone rotten
Hoping that maybe some light might be shed
On things I will only know when I'm dead

The man with the plan he just hasn't appeared
Frustrated I've waited for so many years
I don't think he'll show so I'll dream on instead
Of things I will only know when I'm dead
So much for life on the hard cutting edge
When no-one remembers a word that you've said
The playground of idle men scratching their heads
For things I will only know when I'm dead

The reason for thinking at all's been forgotten
Something in the state of my mind has gone rotten
Hoping that maybe some light might be shed
On things I will only know when I'm dead