Charlie was a dreamer
I knew him back in school
And we became good friends along the way
I went off the college
He went to fight the war
And I recall the words he used to say
He said that's the way it happens
There's so much you can't control
So much to figure out
So much is bought and sold
But no one's gonna stop me
I'm getting out of here
I tell you man I'm going for the gold
Every now and then
I'd hear a crazy tale
About some exotic place where he was seen
Some folks said he's rich
Some said he's in jail
But the truth was probably somewhere in between
He said that's the way it happens
There's so much you can't control
So much to figure out
So much is bought and sold
But the ocean's full of treasure
I'm getting out of here
I tell you man I'm going for the gold
Our paths finally crossed
In a bar down in the Keys
I shook his hand and offered him a beer
His face was scarred and thin
In a quiet voice he said
I gotta tell you man
They call me John down here
He said that's the way it happens
There's so much you can't control
So much to figure out
So much is bought and sold
But I met these guys from Cuba
I'm getting out of here
I tell you man I'm going for the gold
And that's the way we left it
The time had been too long
I said good-bye and never saw him again
The phone call came one night
And the voice just simply said
We found a body in Shark River
And it just might be your friend
He said that's the way it happens
There's so much you can't control
So much to figure out
So much is bought and sold
But no one's gonna stop me
I'm getting out of here
I tell you man I'm going for the gold
And I wonder if old Charlie found his gold

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