We never meant to stay here;
We were here for the gold.
We got stuck here for the winter,
Blinded by golden dollar signs.
We built some simple structures:
Temporary, not permanent.
Each year we dug much deeper.
Each year things got more serious.
Each year our hearts grew weaker,
Blinded by golden dollar signs.
Put a lump of coal in my hand.
Squeeze just as tight as I can.
Hope for a brand new diamond.
I know it's slight but it's all I can.
I promise honey that when we get paid,
We'll pack our things and we'll move away,
A thousand miles from this frozen lake.
We'll find a place where we both can stay.
We'll find a city with a million people;
Find an apartment where the rent is real low.
We'll disappear and no one will notice.
How about it, darling?
We could both live downtown.
We never meant to stay here
But we're just dumb animals with our paws in the hole,
Grasping gold.
Now we're stuck in a small town,
Out on the shield,
But it lost its appeal long ago.
We wake up at dawn and kiss our wives on the forehead
And we slowly make our way into the caves,
Where we will forget the faces of our children and our small regrets
Like, "I should have kept that lucky penny while I had the chance."