Lyrics Jonathan Richman - The World Is Showing Its Hand

well when I first smelled the bus fumes
from the diesel motor
well my two year old mind could only applaud
such odor
the world is showing me its tricks
the world was showing its hand

then an alley somewhere
smelling of grease and piss
I was delighted that the world would want to
smell like this
the world is showing me its tricks
the world was showing its hand

well the pond and the odor
the swamp and the sweat
each smell is telling me a secret
so give me an alley
give me a valley
give me a neopolitan night
let me smell more of the world
and gain more insight
the world is showing me its tricks
the world is showing its hand

Yeah

so give me a mowed lawn
give me an ozone
give me summer rain
let me smell more of the world

that I might learn something
the world was showing me its tricks
the world is showing its hand
The world is showing me its tricks
The world is showing its hand