Now I'm just a bartender
And I don't like my work
But I don't mind the money at all
I see lots of sad faces
And lots of bad cases
Of folks with their backs to the wall
But I need four walls around me
To hold my life, to keep me from going astray
And a honky-tonk angel to hold me tight
To keep me from slipping away

I can light up your smokes
I can laugh at your jokes
I can watch you fall down on your knees
I can close down this bar
I can gas up my car
And I can pack up and mail in my key
But I need four walls around me
To hold my life, to keep me from going astray
And a honky-tonk angel to hold me tight
To keep me from slipping away

Now, the smoke fills the air
In this honky-tonk bar
And I'm thinking 'bout where I'd rather be
But I burned all my bridges
And I sank all my ships, now I'm stranded at the edge of the sea
I still need four walls around me
To hold my life, to keep me from going astray
I need some honky-tonk angel to hold me tight
To keep me from slipping away