Cruel, cruel world, must I go on?
Cruel, cruel world, I'm moving on
I’ve been living too fast
I've been living too wrong
Cruel, cruel world, I'm gone

This big old world sure got me running ’round
Heard a voice, it told me "Settle down"
And with the moonlight as my guide
And with this feeling deep inside
I know now that I am homeward bound

As I wander through the pines, the whisperings, they tell
Of the many before me who tried and fell
Seeking fortune and ways
To get to glory days
Looking for a place in this old world

Cruel, cruel world, must I go on?
Cruel, cruel world, I'm moving on
I've been living too fast
I've been living too wrong
Cruel, cruel world, I'm gone

Desert roads, desert plains
I have seen so much pain
Now I see into the eyes of a girl
No more, no more, cruel world

On a dusty trail I saw vapor light
Was it a mirage? Don't know, but it seemed right
I felt mission, I felt trust
I knew then that I must
Go to her, away from this cruel world

Cruel, cruel world, must I go on?
Cruel, cruel world, I'm moving on
I've been living too fast
I’ve been living too wrong
Cruel, cruel world, I’m gone
Cruel, cruel world, I'm gone