Coffee in Seattle

The strum of cars, like rhythm guitars,

A streetlight sculptures a hollow man

I tune my walk to the tires on the tar,

Some dude has lost the battle.

I’m getting coffee in Seattle.

I wonder if I picked a poor place to park

But then I see he won’t bother me

He blankly stares at the black of the dark

Some dude has lost the battle.

I’m getting coffee in Seattle.

I make like I don’t see him

But then our eyes meet

He doesn’t know me

But he’s the singer from Skeet

Jeez I thought that he’d died

Why’s he out on the street?

He once shone like a diamond,

He sang us his soul

Before Jack, smack and crack took an unfeeling toll

He carved a rock-solid statue, with each new refrain

Then he gave us rough red, after years of champagne

So the statue has fallen but the old songs remain

The old songs remain

That Rolling Stone review he had called an obscenity

When they said he was finally done

Last I heard he was down in Yosemite

Living off the beaten track

So why is this hollow man back?

–

He once shone like a diamond,

He sang us his soul

Before Jack, smack and crack took an unfeeling toll

He carved a rock-solid statue, with each new refrain

Then he gave us rough red, after years of champagne

So the statue has fallen but the old songs remain

The old songs remain

OUTRO

Hey,

You know there’s more than living this way?

You were famous, can I help you man?

He smiles a half smile, then just turns away

–

A living death rattle

I’m getting coffee in Seattle

–

fifty thousand words