Annotated lyrics for The Hold Steady song 'Lord, I'm Discouraged' - Lord, I'm discouraged / The circles have sucked in her eyes / Lord, I'm discouraged / Her new friends have shadowed her life / Lord, I'm discouraged / She ain't come out dancing for some time / And I'm trying to light candles / But they burn down to nothing / And she keeps coming up with / Excuses and half-truths and fortified wine / Excuses and half-truths and fortified wine / Excuses and half-truths and fortified wine / There's a house on the south side / Where she stays in for days at a time / I know I'm no angel / I ain't been bad that way / Can't you hear her? / She's that sweet missing songbird / When the choir sings on Sundays / And I'm almost busted / But I bought back the jewelry she sold / And I come to your altar / And then there's just nothing / And she keeps insisting / The sutures and bruises are none of my business / She says that she's sick, but she won't get specific / The sutures and bruises are none of my business / This guy from the north side comes down to visit / His visits, they only take five or six minutes / Lord, I'm sorry to question your wisdom / But my faith has been wavering / Won't you show me a sign / And let me know that you're listening? / Excuses and half-truths and fortified wine / Excuses and half-truths and fortified wine / Excuses and half-truths and fortified wine / I know it's unlikely she'll ever be mine / So I mostly just pray she don't die