Clean Cut Kid Lyrics

The song Clean Cut Kid is performed by Bob Dylan in the album named Empire Burlesque in the year 1985 .



Everybody's asking why he couldn't adjust
Adjust to what?
A dream that bust?

He was a clean-cut kid
And they made a killer out of him
That's what they did

They said what's up is down
They said what isn't is
They put ideas in his head
That he thought were his

He was a clean-cut kid
But they made a killer out of him
That's what they did

He was on the baseball team
He was in the marching band
When he was ten years old
He had a watermelon stand

He was a clean-cut kid
And they made a killer out of him
That's what they did

They said, "Listen boy, you're just a pup"
They sent him to a napalm health spa to shape up
They gave him dope to smoke, drinks and pills
A jeep to drive, blood to spill

They said "Congratulations
You got what it takes"
They sent him back
Into the rat race without any brakes

He was a clean-cut kid
But they made a killer out of him
That's what they did

He bought the American dream but it put him in debt
Only game he could play was Russian roulette
He drank Coca-Cola, he was eating Wonder Bread
He ate Burger Kings, he was well fed

He went to Hollywood
To see Peter O'Toole
He stole a Rolls Royce
And drove it in a swimming pool

They took a clean-cut kid
And they made a killer out of him
That's what they did

He could've sold insurance, owned a restaurant or bar
He could've been an accountant or a tennis star
He's wearing boxing gloves, took a dive one day
Off the Golden Gate Bridge into China Bay

His mama walks the floor
His daddy weeps and moans
They gotta sleep together
In a home they don't own

They took a clean-cut kid
And they made a killer out of him
That's what they did

Well, everybody's asking why he didn't adjust
All he ever wanted was somebody to trust
They took his head and turned it inside out
He never did know what it was all about

He had a steady job
He joined the choir
He never did plan to walk the high wire

They took a clean-cut kid
And they made a killer out of him
That's what they did



Bob Dylan - Empire Burlesque

Aug 1985

  1. Tight Connection To My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love?)
  2. Seeing The Real You At Last
  3. I'll Remember You
  4. Clean Cut Kid
  5. Never Gonna Be The Same Again
  6. Trust Yourself
  7. Emotionally Yours
  8. When The Night Comes Falling From The Sky
  9. Something's Burning, Baby
  10. Dark Eyes

Clean Cut Kid