Lyrics

[Verse 1]

I had dodged a pair of hunters, left their snapping jaws behind,

Crossed the river, found my dinner, earned a little peace of mind.

I had every toe accounted for, my tail was still attached,

And my towering opinion of myself was quite unmatched.

Then my friend said, “Take the long way. That descent is looking steep.”

I said, “Don’t be so dramatic. It’s a perfectly safe leap.”

[Pre-Chorus]

First a step and then a stumble,

Then the ferns went racing by.

I had many strong opinions.

None of them could make me fly.

[Chorus]

The ground always wins, the ground always wins,

With a rock for your ribs and a root for your shins!

You can roar at the valley, declare yourself king,

But confidence never grew anyone a wing!

Down goes the ego, up comes the floor—

I was king of the hillside a moment before!

One step into glory, then the tumbling begins—

You can argue all the way down, but the ground always wins!

[Verse 2]

I came down upon a ledge and thought, “That could have been worse.”

Then it crumbled underneath me, and I learned a brand-new curse.

I tried steering with my tailtip. I tried braking with my toes.

I conducted an inspection of the gravel with my nose.

At the bottom lay a puddle;

I was hoping for a splash.

It was hiding half a boulder.

I arrived with quite a crash.

[Chorus]

The ground always wins, the ground always wins,

With a rock for your ribs and a root for your shins!

You can roar at the valley, declare yourself king,

But confidence never grew anyone a wing!

Down goes the ego, up comes the floor—

I was king of the hillside a moment before!

One step into glory, then the tumbling begins—

You can argue all the way down, but the ground always wins!

[Bridge]

Doesn’t matter if you’re tiny. Doesn’t matter if you’re grand.

Everybody’s got a story of a dreadful way to land.

A Ptera watched the whole thing from a branch against the sky:

“Have you tried just using wings?” it asked.

“You flap, and then you fly.”

My muddy angry head turned and fixed it with a stare.

It developed pressing business

Somewhere else up in the air.

[Verse 3]

Then my friend came down the long way, found me folded round a stone,

Said, “Well, look at that, Your Majesty. You’ve found yourself a throne.”

I stood up to make a speech about the strength I still possessed—

Then the mud slid out beneath me.

Gravity supplied the rest.

[Final Chorus]

The ground always wins, the ground always wins,

With a rock for your ribs and a root for your shins!

You can roar at the valley, declare yourself king,

But confidence never grew anyone a wing!

Down goes the ego, up comes the floor—

I have made this acquaintance too often before!

Before your next great shortcut or your grand descent begins,

Have a good look at the bottom—

’Cause the ground always wins!