On a warm summer’s evening on a ship bound for nowhere
I met up with a trader we were both too tired to sleep
So we took turn’s a starin’ at the window at the darkness
The boredom overtook us and he began to speak

He said, “Kid I’ve made a life out of readin’ people’s faces
And knowin’ what the cards are by the way they held their eyes
So if you don’t mind me sayin’ I can see your out of Skydogs
For a taste of your root beer I’ll give you some advice,”

So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow
Then he bummed a fruit roll-up and asked me for a wipe
And the night got deathly quiet and his face lost all expression
Said “if you’re gonna play the game boy you gotta learn to play it right.”

Chorus:
You gotta know how to trade ‘em
Know how to swap ‘em
Know when to walk away
And know how to run
You never stack your pile
When you’re sittin’ at the table
There’ll be time enough for stackin’
When the tradin’s done

Every trader knows the secret to survivin’
Is knowin’ what to throw away and knowin’ what to keep
‘Cause every nerd’s a winner and every nerd’s a loser
And the best that you can do is to die in your sleep

And when he finished speakin’ he turned back toward the window
Crushed up his fruit roll-up and drifted off to sleep
And somewhere in the darkness the trader he broke even
But in his final words I found a Skydog I could keep

Chorus (3x)