When I wake up in the morning I feel fragile,
I wonder if you know just how that feels?
Everything out there is just too bright and busy,
I'm resentful of my job and the time it steals,
But I get up anyway and eat my breakfast,
And watch the news, dismayed at what I see;
How did I end up being 53 and fragile,
I'm fragile, and I'm only fifty-three.

When you're fragile and the world wants tough and callous,
You learn to wear a mask and act the part "How are you today?",
they ask, without real feeling, You smile, and stifle panic as it starts,
The team leader tells his boss you lack assertion,
They tell their bosses of your insecurity,
How did I end up being 53 and fragile?
I'm fragile, but I'm only 53.

When self-esteem is drowning in the seas of commerce,
And it costs too much to winch the lifeboats down;
"It's survival of the fittest,'' cries the captain,
He scatters bread upon the water for the drowned.

So if you're waking in the morning feeling fragile,
I'm sure you'll know by now just how that feels,
When there's dark clouds hanging over the horizon,
Perhaps you need some time to let your fractures heal,
Birds singing in the trees at dusk might wake you,
When the sun sets gold and red, a sight to see
How did we end up being 53 and fragile,
I'm fragile, and I'm only 53
Birds singing in the trees at dusk might wake you,
Or it could be a salesman banging on the door
One day we'll all be 53 and fragile,
I'm fragile, but soon I'll be 54.