The Devil and John Berryman, they took a walk together
And they ended up on Washington talking to the river
He said, "I've surrounded myself with doctors and deep thinkers
Their big heads and soft bodies make for lousy lovers"

There was that night that we thought John Berryman could fly
But he didn't, so he died
She said "You're pretty good with words, but words won't save your life"
And they didn't, so he died

Yeah, he was drunk and exhausted, he was critically acclaimed and respected
He loved the Golden Gophers but he hated all the drawn-out winters
He likes the warm feeling but he's tired of all the dehydration
Most nights were kind of fuzzy but that last night he had total retention