Anderson's Fifth Estate

tom
was drunker
than a fiddler's bitch
he yelled
kill em' all
kill em' all
while a fat
balding
high school dropout
recovering junkie
master songwriter
lectured the bar
about the evils of capital punishment
from a bully pulpit
I ain't healthy enough yet to think like that
the singer said
I laughed
danny whisked tom out of the bar
the ex junkie pointed at me and said
I got a microphone and you don't
and that was true
and what the hell could I say
shut the fuck up?
leave me alone?
sing your songs dude?
you got the wrong guy?
I kind of agree with you?
I left the bar and listened to the rest of the show on the patio
cause it wasn't my place to make a scene
tom never forgave him
for what? I'm not sure
I don't hold grudges
and still buy his cds
cause they are always good and often great
and would like to see him again
but he never comes around
I guess we showed him

Rolling Thunder II

are you sure you're in the right room? clara asked

I bet this room was nice about a hundred years ago I thought

I think so judy said I'm not sure she added and glanced at a slip of paper and smiled

well clara said and looked at me

her eye's a burning like street lamps in a desert city on some border between love and whats left of it

a rooms just a room I said

you're a coward and an idiot clara said

I agree judy said

I picked up a guitar and plucked a melody I wrote for one of them a decade and a half ago or so

is that my song judy asked

if looks could kill judy and I would have died in that room that night but they don't

maybe I said maybe not I added it's just a song I stated

and you are a complete and total asshole clara said

true that I thought and turned my head toward a window and watched the sun climb over a palm tree and picked up the tempo

it's the song you played at our wedding clara said

I think you're right I said

judy laughed and picked a rose out of a vase and left the room

I'll see you latter I said

this must be hard on you I said to the one that left and the one that stayed

I have what I want or need I thought or do I?

clara walked across the room picked up the vase and dropped it on the floor

the blues are knocking on my door

I sang

I don't want to let them in anymore

but I can't keep the blues away

these days

I'm going to bed clara said

I think you're wrong about the song I said

you just changed the words clara said the songs the same she added

yeah maybe I said and set the guitar down and walked into the hall 

judy was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall

what took you so long jack she asked