riding the rails

Cold Water (Tom Waits)

Well I woke up this morning
With the cold water...With the cold water...With the cold water
Woke up this morning
With the cold water...With the cold water...With the cold

Police at the station
And they don't look friendly...Well they don't look friendly...Well they don't look friendly
Police at the station
And they don't look friendly...They don't look friendly...well they don't

Blind or crippled
Sharp or dull
I'm reading the Bible
By a 40 watt bulb
What price freedom
Dirt is my rug
Well I sleep like a baby
With the snakes and the bugs

Well the stores are open
But I ain't got no money...I ain't got no money
Stores are open
but I ain't got no money...Ain't got no money...Well I ain't

Found an old dog
And he seems to like me...Seems to like me...Well he seems to like me
Found an old dog
And he seems to like me...Seems to like me...Well he seems

Seen them fellows with the card board signs
Scrapin up a little $
To buy a bottle of wine
Pregnant women and
The Vietnam vets I say
Beggin on the freeway Bout as hard as it gets

Well I slept in the graveyard
It was cool and still...Cool and still...It was cool and still
Slept in the graveyard
It was cool and still...Cool and still...and it was cool

Slept all night in the Cedar grove
I was born to ramble...Born to rove
Some men are searchin for the Holy Grail
But there ain't nothin sweeter than ridin the rails

I love 47 but I'm 24
Well they shooed me away
From here the time before
Turned there their backs
And they locked their doors
I'm watching T.V. in the window of a furniture store

Well I woke up this morning
With the cold water...With the cold water...With the cold water
Woke up this morning
With the cold water...With the cold water...With the cold

in my head today, and the ridin' the rails line has cycled through my whole bloodstream. Ever have days of study and abstract thought that weighs you down to the point where your gratitude for the gift of study and philosoph-ication turns into a general feeling that you wish hadn't been blessed with all of it?...because now you can never really just turn your back on it or pretend you don't have it.
Never really be able to live a directly emotive, experiential life because you are a half-wise, half-"learned," analytical half-scholar, with bits and pieces of understanding about worldview and theology and the history of mankind.
the grass is always greener
again.

found an old dog and he seems to like me...
ironic because as usual a random dog came running out at me on the walk to work. and back from work. different dog each time. they don't seem to like me.

Cat had five kittens. miraculous.
Had a little pretend-market-day with my class today. They were hilarious and wonderful and they so enjoyed the farce of commerce... they gave me $20 change for $20 and went through all the stages of discovering the joys of selling and buying, with none of the actual gain, greed or monetary awareness. We wore straw hats and sold apples, instruments, and candy. What more do you need?