I drag a razor slowly across the face of this old man
as he tells me a story of youth and wasted times back when.
How he once stayed in 700 dollar hotels
and once performed on stage
He once had a family he loved and was religious in his faith.
he hesitates to tell me of
the worse parts of fate

But there's no need for words when I can read it all in his face.
divorce, deaths, explosions, deceit
******, vengeance, drugs and jail and violence and hate
all realized now, too old for mistakes
He raises an eye brow and says
"I've joined the working class again
I got a job at the restaurant down the street"
I'm glad for him I say
but wonder just how long it will last.

"I want to keep from killing myself and find something useful to do"
I tell him that we're done shaving his beard from his face now,
but he should maybe get a hair-cut as well.
He tells me, "maybe later..." He kind of likes it long,
"People don't bother with me very much at all.”

learned to play guitar
and even learned a new song
played music for money
spent time with my family
busted a string playing guitar
lost a friend
fell in love
climbed a mountain
sat on a waterfall
saw a palm tree
walked along the beach in fog
breathed salty air
swam in the ocean
discovered a fruit
saw a gay pride parade
camped in the Redwoods
fireworks exploded right above my head
made love on a cold starry night
played in sand
hiked down highway 101
slept on a boat in the bay
skinny dipped in a lake
and had *** on a train

I caught a Union Pacific headed westbound
howling at the moon
A blanket of stars and my guitar
that's when I wrote this tune

That "Midnight Express" will get you there
if ya haven't a worry, or reason to care
Headin' down the line, steady as she goes
it's like heavy metal rock and roll
------------------------------------------------
Rode it up an' down to Sacramento
when a railway man said, " Ya gotta go."
I heated up iron 'til the trail went cold
riding heavy metal rock and roll

Heavy metal, rock and roll
it shakes and it quakes ,  rattles my soul
I wasn't born on a train
but that's how I'll go
thanks to heavy metal's
rock and roll

--------------------------------------------------
Now every time I hear a whistle blow
I think of "catchin' out" and wonder where it's goin'
Well, I may sing like some "country folks"
but, I love heavy metal & rock and roll

i was busting     songs out
as fast as i could flow
she was turning "tricks"
on the corner of the road

barely making rent with
the habits that we chose

but we don't fuss & we don't fight
[....and thats good}    

i was  broke and selling c.d's
from the back of my van
she was out *******
  with every guy in town

we were barely speaking
accept to explode

but we don't fuss & we don't fight
[ever since i said "i'm gone"} ("hit the road")

dark clouds are looming
hanging heavy 'round my head
your voice , it haunts me
still not sleeping in that bed

i'll paint you a love song
and hang it from the wall
hope you get the message
running through the halls

the air is turning chill here
you can feel it in your bones
there's no more confusion about
which way the wind blows

everything is changing color and
starting to thin
this time , how far you end up,
won't depend on where you began   .