When it's your first time in Tok and you're broke and just limping down the line
And it's forty below and you know that they know that you're a hopeful from Outside
And people speak distinctly as if you're foreign
And you forgot to plug your car in
And you're clearly overdressed, even for winter
And your self-assurance slowly starts to splinter
Oh it takes a little effort to keep your head on straight
To laugh as if you mean it, to whistle while you wait
It takes a little effort to warm up one more smile
To bear another stare, to brave another mile
When it's the first time you could get to West Hollywood and you're slathered in sunscreen
And you drive really slow, so you know that they know that you're another Joe with a dream
And you're wearing your old secondhand blue jeans
And you keep turning your head at limousines
And everybody else looks so damn pretty
And you're feelin' extra grungy and extra indie
Oh it takes a little effort to hold your head up straight
To dress just like you want to, to whistle while you wait
It takes a little effort to not avert your eyes
To trust that you belong there -- it might just be yourself that you surprise
And when you're hopelessly lost in downtown Austin and the crowd's too cool for words
And you don't wanna go but you know that they know you're one of thousands of songbirds
And you can't hardly be heard above the racket
'Cause everybody there is tryin' to hack it
And you've never been compelled to sleep outdoors yet
So you're feelin' all establishment and corporate
Oh it takes a little effort to keep your head on straight
To laugh and really mean it, to whistle while you wait
It takes a little effort to sometimes plug your ears
To play without pretensions, but also without fear
Because some of us will never quite feel the thrill of being safe in our own skin
When it's your first time around you might flounder a bit 'til you fit in
And although I do heartily admire
Folks whose natural graces seem inspired
I expect the truly confident are fewer
Than I am generally inclined to think
And it's worth a little effort to look 'em in the eye
To whistle while you're waiting, to flutter 'til you fly
Oh, it's worth a little effort and a lot of honesty
It's worth some work believing
It takes a little practice to learn to be