[Verse 1] Mr Skiffington clocks in at nine, tie half done Leaves his coffee on the printer and forgets where he come from By ten he’s talking to the fish in the lobby tank Says they’ve seen him miss the bus, lose his keys, still don’t blink [Chorus] Mr Skiffington goes crazy, but he keeps it in a pen Laughing at the copier like it’s got a paper cut again He spins that little chaos like a coin across the floor Mr Skiffington goes crazy, then he asks for one more [Verse 2] At lunch he’s on the roof with a plastic fork and a bag of chips Says the gulls know his first name, says they’ve watched him on these shifts He draws a map on a napkin, circles the vape shop, the VA Then folds it up and hands it to the wind [Chorus] Mr Skiffington goes crazy, but he keeps it in a pen Laughing at the copier like it’s got a paper cut again He spins that little chaos like a coin across the floor Mr Skiffington goes crazy, then he asks for one more [Verse 3] After dark he’s in the corner booth at Lou’s on Mercer Street Salt on his jacket sleeve, one shoe untied beneath his seat He tells the bartender, “I’m fine,” with a grin that won’t sit still Then he buys the whole room a round and forgets his own refill [Bridge] Then the stapler jams and something in him finally breaks He slams his palm on laminate, makes the whole front desk shake Says, “I am not your punchline, not your Monday morning joke” Spits out every careful yes like he’s choking on the smoke Tells the manager, “Keep your forms. Keep your little smiling rules. I’ve been swallowing this building like a mouthful full of tools.” And for one clean second, nobody can get near Mr Skiffington stands there loud and dead clear [Verse 4] Morning comes, he straightens out, finds his badge in the sink Ties his knot a little tighter, takes a breath before he thinks No one says a word about the dent in the vending machine They just let him be the weather in a room too clean [Chorus] Mr Skiffington goes crazy, but he keeps it in a pen Laughing at the copier like it’s got a paper cut again He spins that little chaos like a coin across the floor Mr Skiffington goes crazy, then he asks for one more
