What Is Detroit

It's the Motor City Motor Capital of the World Fordtown Motown Hockeytown It's lying in shards Like olden Rome Love among the ruins With an abrasive outside layer Of exhaust looks and horrendous faces It's Rock City Automobile City Arsenal of Democracy Big D City of Straits It's a rough, tumble, sports purgatory Joe Louis pondering Gordie Howe wondering Ty Cobb mad as hell Joe Schmidt praying What are they yet Lords of dust And their inscriptions However characters Written in the clean Desolated by time Ambushed by flicker And apparitions of the past What was at one time, a magnificent sanctuary Standing glad and solid Detroit, Detroit Yesterday is still today And it's tomorrow, as of now I adore you still, hi and farewell The Lords of Detroit, looking down