Eisenhower Summer,
1952 Saturday
morning, 10:00 AM, she’s walking out the door Her
old man is still in bed sleeping off the night before She’s
heading up to Main Street, on this warm July Off to see another side of life go marching by
A
thousand forty-eight star flags are waving up and down the street Cops
in full dress uniform out in the morning heat There’s
hot dog stands and marching bands and it’s all red white blue It’s
an Eisenhower summer, 1952
Old
folks are lined along the curb parked in folding chairs Kids
are climbing lamp posts and running everywhere It’s
a symphony of sight and sound on a perfect summer day The
crowd down here lets out a cheer as the band begins to play
Xylophones
and snare drums set the rhythm and the rhyme Majorettes
spin steel batons and step in perfect time And
the highschool band is wailing, man, they’re just about in
tune They’ll
be playing in the park tonight beneath that summer moon
Here
comes the new Miss Reingold in a brand new Cadillac She’s
waving at the people and they’re all waving back And
she looks just like her picture up on that billboard sign Five
foot two, eyes of blue, lips like cherry wine
There’s
that brand new fire truck, an adolescents dream The
chrome is polished up so bright it makes it hard to see And
the driver makes that siren sing with a face that’s filled
with pride Kids
are lining up around the block to take her for a ride
Now
the boys from the VFW march by with new recruits In
uniforms that fit too tight and worn out combat boots And
some of them are looking back, and some look straight ahead And
some look like they’d rather be somewhere else instead
Jaycees
and Young Republicans are marching to the beat Democrats
for Stevenson are staring at their feet When
even little kids sing “I like Ike ”
there’s not much left to lose In
an Eisenhower summer, 1952
Everybody
gathers in the square once they all get downtown There’s
nothing left but speeches then things start winding down And
she doesn’t speak much English but she stays until the end Then
she heads back down Grove Avenue on that long walk home again
On
Monday she’ll be back at work at the factory down the street Hands
burning from the acid wash, standing all day on her feet And
she’ll close her eyes and visualize a sky of perfect blue From
an Eisenhower summer day, 1952 (back to top)
Better
Man The
house is dark and the hour’s late I
watch you sleep and each breath you take Is
stirrin’ up old memories Someone
like you, someone like me
A
cold wind blows against our door Honey
let it blow, I don’t care no more There
ain’t no place I’d rather be Than
here with you, here with me
I
played the fool so many times I
broke your heart and I made you cry Tell
me baby, can you see A
better man inside of me?
The
night is cold, this bed is warm And
as I hold you in my arms I
fall into the mystery Of
someone like you, someone like me Someone
like you, someone like me (back to top)
Diner I’m
sittin’ right here in my usual seat In
this diner down on Water Street Gus
is in the back you can hear him shout, he says “Pick
em up, pass em out.” The
mornin’ crowd they come and go The
radio is playin’ low The
girls turn it up and Gus keeps turning it Down,
down, down... And
I’m sittin’ here watchin’ the world go
round
Baby
got a brand new diamond ring She’s
walkin’ up and down showin’ off that thing Buddy
gave it to her when he got off work He’s
a two time loser, she loves the jerk He’s
pumpin’ gas down at Super Daves Workin’
nights at the Shop n’ Save He
promised this time he won’t let her Down,
down, down... And
I’m sittin’ here watchin’ the world go
round
You drive
a Cadillac or a pickup truck Everybody’s
tryin’ to change their luck You
can search and search your whole life through For
what’s sittin’ right here in front of you Might
be sittin’ right here in front of you
Rita
says “What can I get you Babe?” She
calls everybody “Babe” She’s
been working this joint since God knows when Up
every morning at five AM She’s
got a two pack habit, a graveyard cough Four
more hours till she gets off She’ll
get a little sleep then she’ll head out on the Town,
town, town... I'll still be sittin’ here watchin’ the world go
round
Well you can get knocked down, you can get back up You
can hide behind your coffee cup You
can lose your step, you can miss your stride Or
you can get on board and take that ride Get on board and take that ride
Now
Baby and Rita put on a good show From
the last goodbye to the first hello I
love a girl in a uniform They’re
not the ones I come here for You’re
the one I’m here to see There’s
an empty stool right next to me Got
nothing else to offer you But
a love that’s real and a heart that’s true Honey
sit awhile as the the day goes Down,
down, down... And
we’ll both watch this world go round (back to top)
Hard
Love She’s
standin’ on the platform, Jersey Coast Line Station Wonders what she ever did to end up like this A
suitcase with a broken latch, roll of singles in her pocket And
the bitter taste of blood and tears from last nights Judas Kiss
A tattoo
underneath her eye to remind her of her virtue And
one that’s burned into her heart to remind her of her sin And
she tells herself that this time when that train pulls from the station She’ll
ride it like a memory and she won’t be back again
And
it’s hard, hard love, hard love you know It’s
hard, hard, hard..... And
it’s hard, hard love, hard love you know And
it’s hard, hard love.....
Ocean
County Boatyard, pallets and a fork lift A
hammer poundin’ in his head and a fire down below And
last night’s just an echo from another lifetime Like
some old broken melody on a dime store radio
Now
it’s bloodstains on a dirty shirt and pockets full of
nothin’ And
a coat that’s made of guilt and shame, worn for all these
years And
he tells himself that this time when he steps into the kitchen He’ll
find the man he used to be reflected in her tears
And
it’s hard, hard love, hard love you know It’s
hard, hard, hard..... And
it’s hard, hard love, hard love you know And
it’s hard, hard love.....
Standin’
at the window, day old cup of coffee Suitcase
with a broken latch underneath the bed Headlights
in the driveway, footsteps in the alley A
train pulls in a station a hundred miles away
And
it’s hard, hard love, hard love you know It’s
hard, hard, hard..... And
it’s hard, hard love, hard love you know And
it’s hard, hard love..... (back to top)
Snowing In Jerusalem There's a ghost out in the kitchen Footsteps
in the hall Take
a breath and you can almost taste The
smoke and alcohol These
closets are all filled with bones Locked
behind those doors Some
things are better left alone Sometimes less is more
You
can hide out in the cornfield You
can hide out in those woods You
can run from then to now, boy But
it won’t do no good There’s
things you carry with you Things
you throw away Things
that you keep buried And
a price you have to pay
He’s
been sitting at that table Since
long before sunset One
light in the darkness A
half smoked cigarette His
face is just a shadow now And
nothing’s really clear Outside
the night is hard and bright But
a storm is in the air
You
can hide out in the cornfield You
can hide out in those woods You
can run from then to now, boy But
it won’t do no good There’s
things you carry with you Things
you throw away Things
that you keep buried And
a price you have to pay
It’s
snowing in Jerusalem It’s
raining in Teheran The
lights are out in Baghdad It’s
quiet in Amman In
Riyadh they play solitaire With
a loaded deck of cards And
there’s a hole in New York City To
remind us who we are
To remind us who we are
You
can hide out in the cornfield You
can hide out in those woods You
can run from then to now, boy But
it won’t do no good There’s
things you carry with you Things
you throw away Things
that you keep buried And
a price you have to pay (back to top)
Path Of Least
Resistance There’s
an old faded picture somewhere down inside a shoebox Of
a ragged looking kid standing underneath a windmill Cigarette
hanging from his mouth, grinning at the camera He's all
of sixteen trying to look like thirty-two All
of sixteen trying to look like thirty-two
Back in 1937 my old man sailed across the ocean With
a friend of his named Ollie who had relatives in Holland With
a seven dollar suitcase and an eighth grade education He
shipped out of New York City to go and see the world
By
the time he got back home again the world was full of thunder And
it wasn’t too long after that he shipped back out again This
time he had a rifle, dog tags and a number And
a knot of fear he did his best to bury deep within
Now
some folks say that everything in life is what we make it Some folks say that every step we take is preordained I
think mostly we all walk a path of least resistance For
the good we take the credit and for the bad we pass the blame
The
old man died some time ago and I never thought I’d miss him But
sometimes late at night I feel him underneath my skin He
had an emptiness he tried to fill with medicine and whiskey But
they just fed the fire that finally did him in
Sometimes
I wish that I could stand inside of that old picture Maybe sit and talk awhile with that sixteen year old kid And
I wouldn’t ask no questions, I’d just listen to his
story And
the sound of that old windmill in it’s never-ending spin
Back
in 1937 my old man sailed across the ocean With
a friend of his named Ollie who had relatives in Holland With
a seven dollar suitcase and an eighth grade education He
shipped out of New York City to go and see the world He
shipped out of New York City to go and see the world (back to top) Hard Times
(Stephen Foster)
Let us pause in life's pleasures
And count its many tears,
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There's a song that will linger
Forever in our ears;
Hard times come again no more.
While we seek mirth and beauty
And music light and gay,
There are frail forms fainting at the door;
Though their voices are silent,
Their pleading looks will say
Hard times come again no more
It’s the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard times..........
Come again no more
Many days you have lingered
Around my cabin door;
Oh... hard times come again no more.
There's a pale sad-eyed maiden
Who toils her life away,
With a worn heart whose better days are over
Though her voice should be merry,
She’s sighing all the day,
Hard times come again no more.
There’s a sigh that is carried
Across the troubled wave,
There’s a wail that is heard upon the shore
There’s a dirge that is murmured
Around the lowly grave
Hard times come again no more.
It’s the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard times..........
Come again no more
Many days you have lingered
Around my cabin door;
Oh... hard times come again no more. (back to top) Cross The Wide Missouri My
fathers father, he was a sailor As
my father was before me And
I was baptized in these waters Away,
far away Cross
the wide Missouri
Now
as a young man I courted Annie One
early Spring we were married And
a love did grow, as the river flowed Away,
far away Cross
the wide Missouri
Side
by side we sailed together Through
sunny days and stormy weather We
swore that one day we’d sail forever Away,
far away Cross
the wide Missouri
Last
night I woke to distant thunder Called
Annie’s name but got no answer Just
the sound of one heart beating Away,
far away Cross
the wide Missouri
Now
as I
sit here in these
shadows
And
as I look down from my
window
I
can hear that thunder
rolling
Away,
far away Cross
the wide Missouri
Tonight
I’ll walk down to the water And
let that river take me under And
when I wake I’ll be delivered Away,
far away Cross
the wide Missouri
Shenandoah,
I long to see you Far
beyond this lonely river Where
I know my heart lies waiting Away,
far away Cross
the wide Missouri Away,
I’m bound away Cross
the wide Missouri
Promises and Rain (Tuckerton NJ, 1965) Summer
town, shut down, January night Last
one out turns off the light Red
light, green light, man that’s a joke You
can go through red, you can go through green You
can go through anything in between Cars
blow through this town like it was made of smoke
Up
above the storefront, third floor room Sleepin’
in your clothes by the light of the moon Heat
coil, red glow, got the radio on Christ
this goddamn place is cold Plastic
on the windows snap when the wind blows Atlantic
City station is playin’ a country song
Promises
and rain Promises
and rain Fallin’
all around this town Some
things never change All
you get are promises...and rain
Wind
kicks in from across the lake Rain
so sharp it’ll cut your face One
false move tonight and it’s goodbye John Pizza
joint, gin mill, Redman’s Lodge Paper
store, Texaco, Harold’s Pool Hall Shut
down tight but they all got the radio on
It goes on and on.....
Promises
and
rain
Promises
and rain Fallin’
in between the cracks Nothin' seems to change All
you get are promises...and rain
Louie
got arrested, who knows why? Holly
got killed on the fourth of July Davy’s
still tryin’ to pass the civil service exam Sandy
says he’s gonna move way down south AC
Electric job don’t pan out And everybody’s
talkin’ bout a place called Viet Nam
Trouble’s
on the way,
it’s just a matter of
time
Talk
that talk you better walk that line Dance
with the devil and there’s gonna be a price to pay So
take that punch, taste that blood Do
it for hate, do it for love The
fire’s lookin’ better than the slow burn anyway
Promises
and rain Promises
and rain Pick
one or the other It
all comes out the same
All
you get are promises...
Promises
and rain Promises
and rain Fallin’
all around this town Some
things never change
All
you get are promises...and rain (back to top) Radio Road When
I was a young man, I thought I was a rolling stone No
connection, no direction home I
spoke the words of other men I
thought that I was just like them I
looked for answers in the wind.....
I
met her one night, out on Radio Road A
band was playin’ loud, people dancin’ slow The
singer called out “Just one more” I
never felt so alone before.....
She
walked up to me and asked if I wanted to dance I
looked away, she said “Come on baby, take a chance” Then
she took me by the hand We
started swayin’ to the band She
moved in real close and then.....
She
kissed me in a way I’d never been kissed before I
wanted that kiss to last forever...
I
told her I was no James Dean She
just smiled and said “You coulda’ fooled
me” Then
she whispered in my ear Something
only I could hear And
everything got real clear.....
It’s
been a lotta years since she walked up to me that night One
look in her eyes and I know I did something right Sometimes
at night on the radio They
play that song that we both know She
smiles at me.... and away we go.....
She
kissed me in a way I’d never been kissed before I
wanted that kiss to last forever...
Now
when I was a young man I thought I was a rolling
stone And
that I’d always walk this world alone I
tell you boys, it’s strange to see Just
how wrong a man can be......... I
got my baby right here with me. (back to top)
Steel and Stone (Norm's Blues) They
used to roll these streets up in the fall You
could drive from Maine to Chelsea and never stop at all Street
lamps burnin’ low this time of night Signals
down, flashing yellow light
Now
they bus ‘em in from out of state They
come in early and they come in late The
neon burns and the clocks don’t run You
can spend your whole life here now and never see the sun
Steel
and stone, steel and stone It
don’t fall apart like flesh and bone Steel
and stone, steel and stone Still
be standing when I’m gone
I
worked this beach just like my father did Before
the war when he was just a kid A
union man down to the bone He
traded sand and sea for steel and stone
Now
shadows fall along the promenade Cast
by buildings that my father made Built
to last, foundations strong They’re
still standing, he’s all gone
Steel
and stone, steel and stone It
don’t fall apart like flesh and bone Steel
and stone, steel and stone Still
be standing when I’m gone
Tell
my sister that I’m doing well Tell
my brother only time will tell Tell
my baby not to cry Tell
my friends I’ll see ‘em down the line
Steel
and stone, steel and stone It
ain’t no substitute for flesh and bone Steel
and stone, steel and stone Won’t
make no difference when we’re gone
(back to top)
Old Dancing
Fool I
ain’t no dancer, I never have been one Some
let it all out, I keep it all in on The
inside, down in the dark, right where it belongs
I
know that a dance is the one thing you’ve wanted To
glide round the floor, unshackled, undaunted Holdin’
each other, hummin’ along with the song
Now
I might be mistaken, but ain’t that a waltz they’re playin’? The
dance floor is full, couples are spinin’ and
swayin’ Swayin’...
If
a dance was a diamond, I would have bought it Anything
honey, you want it you got it Whatever
it takes, I’ll do my best to come through
So
hold on sugar, here it comes baby I’d
be delighted, if you would accompany me Out
on the floor for a turn with an old dancin’ fool
Now
I might be mistaken, but ain’t that a waltz they’re playin’? The
dance floor is full, couples are spinnin’ and
swayin’ Swayin’...
And
if we close our eyes and hold on to each other Who
knows baby, we may discover That
the world slips away and we can dance without movin’ at all
So
let the night go by, let the lights turn blue You
hold on to me, and I’ll hold on to you We’ll
let it all slip away and dance without movin’ at all
Let
it all slip away and dance without movin’ at all (back to top)
The Lights of
Brigantine I
see you sittin’ in the kitchen in your mothers house It’s
a hot summer night on Holly Lake The
cards are on the table, your little sister's on my knee She
holds her breath and waits to see Who’s
gonna make that first mistake
And
everybody’s laughin’ when the cards come
tumblin’ down You
little sisters rollin’ on the floor Your
mother leans against he counter with that secret smile Your
sister's pickin’ up the cards Says
can we play one more?
Just
one more...
Your
mother sits and taps her toe, we got Motown on the radio Levi
Stubbs got the Detroit Blues He
says he just can’t help himself He
says it’s you and nobody else And
I believe every word he says is true
He
says...
Sugar
pie honey bunch, you know that I love you I
can’t help myself, it’s you and nobody else Nobody
else...
And
I know what he’s talkin’ about...
One
more round it’s time to go, I’m out the door and
down the road Behind
the wheel of that old Chevrolet I got
a brand new set of retreads Half a tank of gas Point
that Chevy south and head out toward Great Bay
Down the boulevard Great Bay Boulevard...
It’s
a two lane stretch of blacktop, starts at Highway 9 And
ends out where the asphalt turns to sand Ten
miles through open meadow Reed
grass growin high You
can see the lights of Brigantine if you walk out on the strand
Cross
the seven bridges, past the old boat yard There's a burned out Coast Guard station on the right Everybody
says it haunted And
I believe it’s true But
I don’t care about no ghosts tonight
I feel alright
And
the Seven Island factory is lit up like a Christmas tree Seagulls
chase the fishin’ boats as they come round the bend You
can hear those diesels scream for oil Get
'em in before they spoil And
the voices of the deck hands they carry on the wind
They
say haul away Haul
away boys Haul
away...
In
the sound the waves are crashin’, Holgate buoy lights are
flashin’ You
can smell the salt and seaweed on the breeze Look
out across Great Thorofare Past Little
Bay, way out there And you’re
lookin’ at the lights of Brigantine
The
lights of Brigantine...
They shine like diamonds
Look like stars on the horizon...
Get
that Chevy turned around, don’t get stuck head back to town The
tires on the asphalt are slappin’ out a tune Radio
waves are bouncin’ tonight I got
a Boston station clear and bright And a
Dylan song comes on, sounds like he’s howlin’ at the
moon
He
says I want you
Honey I want you I
want you So
bad...
I’m
thinkin tonight about all those miles, Your
sister’s laugh and your mothers smile Thinkin’
bout the music and the house of cards Thinkin’
bout the things that make us what we are Thinkin’
bout the future, thinkin’ bout the past Thinkin’
bout the water and the tall reed grass Thinkin’
bout the father, son and holy ghost Thinkin’
bout the things that we fear the most Thinkin’
bout the old, thinkin’ bout the new And I'm thinkin’
about time... Thinkin’
bout you...
And
I just can’t help myself
I just can’t help myself
After all this time
It's still
you and nobody else
Nobody
else...nobody else...nobody else....
