Running fast, from the past,
Before they turn the screw.
Bitter taste. Poker face.
There's no more he can do.
Had a life, and a wife,
Before he met the man.
Easy cash, hide the stash,
Sticking to the plan.

Low life is under the radar,
Low life is over the top,
Low life is driving him crazy,
Low life will it ever stop?

Lost it all, in a brawl,
Gun pressed to his head.
Had to hide, out of sight,
Wishing he was dead.
Out of town, keep it down,
Never getting sleep.
Changed his name, barely sane,
Really in too deep.

The future's dark and the past grows dim.      
Nicotine breath and sallow skin.       
Living on the edge but dead within.      
Cheating at the game in which no-one wins.    

Low life is under the radar,
Low life is over the top,
Low life is driving him crazy,
Low life will it ever stop?

The police, or the streets,
Who would find him first?
Go to hell, prison cell,
Which would be the worst?

Low life is under the radar,
Low life is over the top,
Low life is driving him crazy,
Low life will it ever stop?

Heard the car, wasn't far.
A laser guiding dot.
Sudden gasp, was his last.
It only took one shot.
Lived and lost, bore the cost.
Daddy's gone for good.
Wife's in tears, wasted years.
Would hate him if she could.

Low life was under the radar,
Low life was over the top,
Low life was driving him crazy,
For his wife it'll never stop.

“Cheating at the game in which no-one wins”

“The riff for Low Life came from playing pretty ‘airy’ chords on an electric 12-string and then hitting the distortion pedal.

The lyrics are about an unsuspecting guy who sees an opportunity to make a quick buck but makes an enemy of the local gangsters. He tries to lie low, fearing for his life.

I’d been watching Breaking Bad around that time, which must have seeped into my subconscious.

Intended for a full electric four-piece band, its pivot to an acoustic arrangement took some time but I think it works well either way now.”