Washington Street - Laurie Anderson

It’s midnight downtown.

It’s been raining for days

Rain beats down

It covers the streets with its sparkling skin

In the deli purple light

A woman in a party dress pays for some milk

Yellow cab stops for a light

Two men in black hats are running

A messenger on a bike

Pile drivers pounding.

They’ve set up some lights

They’re digging a hole.

It’s filling up with black water

Rainy days.

Rainy nights

Steam rises, covers the city

Pieces of old newspaper float like paper boats

They slide along the rushing water in the gutter

Rainy days.

Rainy nights

Rain falls down and covers the city

It falls from fabulous heights

Covers the streets with its sparkling skin

And over on Jane street they’re shooting that movie again

They just can’t seem to get it right

Behind a warehouse in a burned out building

A man is sleeping in a cardboard box on a pile of salt

Rainy days.

Rainy nights

Rain falls down and covers the city

It falls from fabulous heights

Covers the streets with its sparkling skin

A man on a park bench

He sits in the pouring rain