For the Drunks and the Loons

He spent his nights on the rolling seas Eating half-raw fish and moldy cheese He'd float into town about twice a year To see some old friends and drink a little beer He played an old guitar with worn-out strings With callused fingers, he could make it ring And he knew every song that'd ever been played And sung them all whenever he stayed I met the old man when I was just a boy Strumming a six-string that was just a toy He took it from my hand and showed me a chord He came back the next day and showed me one more In a few weeks, I went looking around But the old man had sailed for the next coastal town So I took the two chords and learned a few tunes And I played on the streets for the drunks and the loons.