One step up (and two steps back)

Woke up this morning, the house was cold
Checked the furnace, she wasn't burnin'
Went out and hopped in my old Ford
Hit the engine, but she ain't turnin'
We've given each other some hard lessons lately
But we ain't learnin'
We're the same sad story, that's a fact
One step up and two steps back

Bird on a wire outside my motel room
But he ain't singin'
Girl in white outside a church in June
But the church bells, they ain't ringin'
I'm sittin' here in this bar tonight
But all I'm thinkin' is
I'm the same old story, same old act
One step up and two steps back

It's the same thing, night on night
Who's wrong baby, who's right?
Another fight and I slam the door on
Another battle in our dirty little war
When I look at myself I don't see
The man I wanted to be
Somewhere along the line I slipped off track
I'm caught movin' one step up and two steps back

There's a girl across the bar
I get the message she's sendin'
Mmm she ain't lookin' too married
And me well, honey, I'm pretending
Last night I dreamed I held you in my arms
The music was never-ending
We danced as the evening sky faded to black
One step up and two steps back

- Bruce Springsteen, "One step up" (1987)