Sixteen Years - Robyn Hitchcock, The Venus 3

Sixteen years

And all I got was high

Sixteen years

I couldn’t even look you in the eye

Sixteen calendars

With nothing in their frames

You said you’d pencil me in

But you don’t know my name

My name

Sixteen tons

I was under there

Sixteen suns

Hanging on a stand

You hide the money in the bank

The money has no shape

Shame corroded you

But you don’t know my name

My name

Once in your life

Make it be good

Good as a train

Once in your life

Do what you could

Make it sustain

Sixteen years

And all I got was high

Sixteen ways

To shrivel up and die

You pegged me for a fool

But I’m the one to play

I played the pretty neat fool for you

But you don’t know my name

My name

Once in your life

Make it be good

Make it sustain

Don’t let me die here

You don’t know my name

My name

My name