Young captain
It's been 72 days
Since you talked to your dad
I know there's a war
I know my morning's your night
I know there's a girl
I know I'm not
#1 on your list
But I miss you
I always have
Since the day you
Stepped off the boat
To report to that school
Where they made you
A leader of men
Even then I would call
And you'd answer
I knew your senior year
Flying back from the game
That time we had in Philidelphia
Or the night
We climbed to the roof
Dangled our legs over the ledge
Drank some beers
And watched the lights of The City
Our last fishing trip, too
I knew
Cat's in the Cradle *
Started playing in my head
"When you coming home, son..." *
God--I love you
You're brother's at your momma's now
Coming to see his dad tomorrow
Wish you were here, too
My sons under this roof again
We'd have a time
You know we'd have a time
We always do
Just needed to talk
But it's 2:30 a.m. over there
So you know... wrote a poem
* "Cat's in the Cradle" by Harry F. Chapin and Sandy Chapin
“Couple in the next room
Bound to win a prize
They’ve been going at it all night long”
While I’m sitting here alone
To no one’s surprise
That’s a common theme in my life’s song
“Well I’m running down the road trying to loosen my load
I’ve got seven women on my mind”
It’s hard to stop and think
With my libido on the blink
Peace and quiet is so hard for me to find
In my psychedelic world
Where variety gives me all my thrills
The words of my first grade teacher
Sound so obscene:
“Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There’s no need to see flowers any other way
Then the way they always have been seen”
“And I’m laying out my winter clothes and wishing I was gone,
goin’ home”
But my women troubles stay
In the next room the loud couple still play
And the words of the psychedelic flower hater
Won’t leave me alone
Paul Simon – “Lincoln Duncan”
Jackson Browne – “Take It Easy” (also performed by The Eagles)
Harry Chapin – “Flowers Are Red”
Simon and Garfunkel – “The Boxer”
There has to be a heaven for musicians
A place for old singers to go
Their music still touches our lives
As they did years ago
Ray Charles transcended music type
From country to rock to blues
Ritchie Valens was only seventeen
When his death hit the morning news
Jim Croce sang about Leroy Brown
While Nillson would croon Without You
Janis Joplin would make you rock
And Stevie Ray would make you blue
I still watch old Ozzie and Harriet shows
Just to hear Ricky Nelson sing
Harry Chapin took his last Taxi ride
And Elvis is still the king
John sang of peace and love
While George's guitar would gently weep
Conway's music wasn't Make Believe
I hear their music in my sleep
John Denver's in the Rocky Mountains High
And Del Shannon seeks his Runaway
Rainy Days and Mondays made Karen sigh
While Otis sat On the Dock of the Bay
Jimi Hendrix played the meanest guitar
Roy's voice couldn't get any higher
Bobby Darin searched Beyond the Sea
And Jim Morrison said Light My Fire
There has to be a Heaven for musicians
For all those who have paid their dues
Where the music will live forever
From rock n' roll to rhythm and blues.