metamorphosis of a text: "cut and run" again

Other than poems lyrics are meant to be sung eventually and so must be fitted into a song. That often requires rewriting and 'tweaking' them until they flow well with the music. There is also the issue of different genres and different cultures. Folk and country songs often tell stories, for example whereas pop songs can well 'live' without, just describing a singls situation (we're all are happy having a party), for example. And there is American English versus British English. In spite of all the Americanisms in British rock songs, like the pronuciation in "got", "lot", "can't" etc., the phrasing still differs. Also, you rarely find irony or self-mockery in American lyrics.

I am European, and there is one genre that I do NOT write for, that's country music. And there is Craig from the US who every now and then sets my lyrics to music - country music. Small wonder that we keep rewriting the titles in the process. Here's the metamophosis of "cut and run":

First verse:

my original version:
life's not a walk in the park
some days are sunny, some are dark
some things are easy, some are hard
sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
sometimes life deals you the wrong card

* five lines don't agree too well with even measures, like 2/4 time or 4/4 time. That's why most verses have four or eight lines (the 4/4 time is the most common measure). My version would have required adding an instrumental phrase (that I envisioned) to 'come even'.

Craig's version:
life is not a walk in the park
some days are sunny and some are dark
some things are easy, some are hard
and sometimes life deals the wrong card

my version after an evaluation by a Nashville music association:

life's not a walk in the park
some days are sunny, some are dark
some things are easy, some are hard
sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
sometimes life's like a bad hand of cards

* back to five lines, but that was a mistake

Craig's version after an evaluation by his music association:
life is not a walk in the park
some days are sunny and some are dark
some things are easy and some are hard
and sometimes life… is like a bad hand of cards


Chorus:

my original version:
cut and run - that's your reaction
can't you see that on reflection
a little trust, a little grit
maybe even throwin' a fit
once in a while when things get rough
can make the difference to our love

Craig's version:
cut and run - that's your reaction
can't you see we got no traction
a little trust, a little grit
maybe even throwin' a fit
once in a while when things get rough
can make the difference to our love

my version after an evaluation by a Nashville music association:

cut and run - that's your reaction
pullin' different ways we get no traction
there are times when life's not fun
love's "give and take", not "cut and run"
sometimes to win you got to give up
to make the difference to our love

Craig's version after an evaluation by his music association:
cut and run - that's your reaction
pullin' different ways we got no traction
a little grit, a little trust
sometimes to win you gotta give up
there's gonna be times when life's not fun
love's a give and take not cut and run

... it's done when the song is sung ;-)