The Late John Garfield Blues - Sara Watkins

Black faces pressed against the glass

Where rain has pressed it’s weight

Wind blown scarves in top down cars

All share one western trait

Sadness leaks through tear stained cheeks

From winos to dime store Jews

Probably don’t know they give me

These late John Garfield blues

Midnight fell on Franklin Street

And the lamplight bulbs were broke

For the life of me, I could not see

But I heard a brand new joke

Two men were standing upon a bridge

One jumped and screamed, you lose

And just left the odd man holding

Those late John Garfield blues

Old men sleep with their conscience at night

Young kids sleep with their dreams

While the mentally ill sit perfectly still

And live through life’s in betweens

I’m going away to the last resort

In a week or two, real soon

Where the fish don’t bite but once a night

By the cold light of the moon

Horses scream, nightmares dream

And the dead men all wear shoes

'Cause everybody’s dancin'

To those late John Garfield blues