The Fighter

Golden Earring

(He was young when I first saw him
(Maybe) 19 or so
And I knew he would go places
He'd never dreamt he'd go
There was a certain something
Impossible to hide
Dynamite in both his hands
It swept 'em all aside

So they nicknamed him the killer
And he lived up to the name
The guys who tried to fight him
Never came out quite the same
And man,the crowd just loved him
In those up and coming days
Carried him on their shoulders 
While they showered him with praise

Well, they loved him like a brother 
Cause he gave 'em all the thrills 
Carin' shit about no self-defense
Only goin' for the kill 
He took a beating now and then 
But stood there young and tough 
Never thought of backin' up
When the going got too rough 

He came down like a shockwave
The title easily won
He just tore in there man,punching 
Taking two and landing one
But that avalanche of punches
Eventually took its toll 
Like a constant drip of water
Wears down the hardest stone

And we all saw it comin'
The inevitable fall
The night he lost his title
And the title wasn't all
He just started slippin' 
Down skids slicker than grease
His drawing power faded 
And the hero worship ceased 

But he couldn't stop the fighting
Custom-made for the trade
While he blew away the money
On friends success has made
I saw him fight again last nigh
I wish I had been spared
The sight of that poor old wreck
For whom nobody no longer cared

His eyes had lost their sparkle 
His legs had lost their spring 
And it really was pathetic
The way he stumbled 
Through the ring 
While an upstart punched him dizzy
Punched him silly bell to bell
The lust mad hungry wolfpack
rode him down to fare-ye-well

Here's the same punks
Who once worshipped
His shrine when he was king
Callin' him a coward
As he was gropin' 'round the ring
But he didn't seem to notice
I thought he'll fight until he's dead
He'll stay in there and take it
And keep the wolf-pack fed

He gave 'em his youth 
And all his power
Now they were tearin' him apart
My eyes grew dim and misty
For that brave and gallant heart
Man if I could only have my way
I'd know exactly what to do
I'd pitch 'em right in there with him
One by one and two by two

I'd see him bush their empty heads
Egg-like broken shells
I'd jump up on my chair and yell
For blood while down they fell
I'd see 'em beg for mercy
Groaning in the night
What's wrong you guys
Can't you take it?
Come on you scum and fight!