John Prine Living in the Future

(Originally named "Jumpin Jehosaphat") Jehosaphat the mongrel cat Jumped off the roof today Some would say he fell but I could tell He did himself away His eyes weren't bright like they were the night We played checkers on the train God Bless his soul he was a tootsie roll But he's a dead cat just the same Chorus: We are living in the future I'll tell you how I know I read it in the paper Fifteen years ago We're all driving rocket ships And talking with our minds And wearing turquoise jewelry And standing in soup lines We are standing in soup lines Jake the barber's lonely daughter Went down to her daddy's shop She plugged herself to a barber pole And took a little off the top Pressure on the left. Pressure on the right Pressure in the middle of the hole I'm goin' to Maine on a forty foot crane I'm gonna use it for a fishin' pole Repeat Chorus Old Sarah Brown sells tickets down At the all night picture show Where they grind out sex And they rate it with an "X" Just to make a young man's pants grow No tops no bottoms just hands and feet Screaming the posters out on the street Strangling the curious and the weak We give 'em what they want to see - O Repeat Chorus