Overcoats

John Hiatt

Well I wandered in
To the house of mirrors
With a camera and an old shotgun
I was taking some pictures
Of me and my fears
And exploding them one by one
When all of a sudden
Much to my surprise
A lady with a fine tooth comb
Struck a match up to my face
And said, "Get out of this place
You better leave the ugly truth alone"

[Chorus]
Overcoats
Overcoats
I ain't never heard you sing
Overcoats
Overcoats
Take off that silly thing

Well, I looked her in the eye
With a slave-like stare
And said, "I'm here to talk about the rent"
Well, she did a double flip
Then she buttoned up her lip
Went and hid in the oxygen tent
Well the image shriveled up
And the air got thin
As she smiled from behind her mask
She said, "You can stay here all night
But it's gonna cost you your life
If I was you, I would be leaving fast."

[Chorus]

I didn't come for information
No I've read the daily news
It's carved on everybody's face

But I'm without illumination
Yes, I think we blew a fuse
And I'd be much obliged
If you could help me locate the place

Well at this, she seemed quite baffled
And like a little girl
She took off her wedding gown
Then she stood before the mirror
And it all came clear
She was married to the lost and found

So I left her there sleeping
In her honeymoon
And I made it through the antidote
Well the procedure is brief
If you want to see what's underneath
You gotta take off that overcoat

Overcoats
Overcoats
I ain't never heard you sing