Which Came First

Ry Cooder

You may be a hater, you may be a lover 
You can bet your life one destroys the other 
I don't know how it all began, which came first 
The egg or the hen 

The moon comes up and the sun goes down 
This old world keeps spinning around 
Just as sure as the day turns into the night 
What you do in the dark will turn up in the light 
Masked man ridin' out across the land 
Spreading destruction and moving his hand 
He carries a ray-gun, shoots from the hip 
Got your past in his pocket, your future's in his grip 

You may be a hater, you may be a lover 
You bet your life one destroys the other 
I don't know how it all began, which came first 
The egg or the hen 

Now, you bet your life without a doubt 
Asking a masked man to leat you out 
He's got you so tight that you can't even see 
That ray-gun is pointed right at you and me 

You won't see it coming 
You won't feel the blow 
You won't get no warning 
You won't never know 
You can't start it sooner 
And fix it up later 
And you ain't going to read about it in the newspaper 

Rich or poor, mighty and meek 
Don't need no ticket, you've all got a seat 
High up on the mountain, low down in the alley 
We'll all watch the world turn into death valley 

You may be a hater, you may be a lover 
You can bet your life one destroys the other 
I don't know how it all began, which came first 
The egg or the hen 

Better shake my hand 'cause time is winding up 
Shake your neighbor's hand 'cause time is winding up 

You may be a hater, you may be a lover 
You can bet your life one destroys the other 
I don't know how it all began, which came first 
The egg or the hen