Mister Can't-Go-On

(album: It Ain't Easy - 1991)

There's a man on the telephone, says he's been drinking some wine
He won't give his name, says he's come to the end of the line
He can't win for losing, he feels like his back's to the wall
He's hard to keep talkin'; keeps saying he's tired of it all
I'm asking him anything, any fool question will do
He knows what I'm doing and I know what he's going through
I hear him crying, so I'll do the talking for now
I hear my own voice and I'm talking, but I don't know how
I say, “Please Mister Can't-Go-On, you can go on one more day
The time to decide is still twenty-four hours away
If you still feel the same, then I'll still have the same thing to say”
I'll say, “Mister Can't-Go-On, you can go on one more day”
I ask him his name again; finally, he tells me it's Ray
His woman can't take it no more and she's moving away
He's tried to quit drinking but the least little thing and he's gone
Keep talking, keep talking, keep praying, keep keep ing him on
Saying, “Please Mister Can't-Go-On, you can go on one more day
And the time to decide is still twenty-four hours away
If you still feel the same, then I'll still have the same thing to say”
I'll say, “Please Mister Can't-Go-On, you can go on one more day”
I've drunk so much coffee, I know won't sleep for a week
But I feel like we're winnin'; I'm sitting here letting Ray speak
He's laughed once or twice, even laughed at a lame joke of mine
He said it was lousy I guess that's a pretty good sign
I say, “See Mister Can't-Go-On, you can go on one more day
And the time to decide, is still twenty-four hours away
If you still feel the same, then I'll still have the same thing to say”
I'll say, “See Mister Can't-Go-On, you can go on one more day”
I'll say, “See Mister Can't-Go-On, you can go on one more day”