THE OLD MAN
TOLD HIS STORY
ABOUT THE YEARS
GONE BY
HOW HE
PLAYED HIS HORN
DOWN IN NEW ORLEANS
IN SOME OLD
DINGY DIVE
I KNEW 'EM ALL
BACK THEN HE SAID
AS HE REACHED OUT
FOR HIS HORN
HE CLOSED HIS EYES
AND WET HIS LIPS
AND THEN THE BLUES
WERE BORN
HE PLAYED
WITH SO MUCH FEELIN'
TEARS CAME
FROM HIS EYES
HE STOPPED AND
REMINISCED A BIT
AND THEN HE
GAVE A SIGH
SAID YOU KNOW
I ALMOST MADE IT
BUT THAT'S
BEFORE YOUR TIME
DIXIELAND
POOR FOLKS' BLUES
SCATMAN
JACKSON'S WINE
SLAPPED HIS KNEE
AND GAVE A GRIN
IT SURE WAS
GOOD BACK THEN
REACHING FOR HIS HORN
ON THE FLOOR
PLACED IT IN
AN OLD TOTE SACK
THAT HUNG ACROSS
HIS BACK
HE SAID GOODBYE
THEN SHUFFLED
OUT THE DOOR
ENTHUSED
BY WHAT HE TOLD ME
I NEVER GOT HIS NAME
SO I CALLED
THE WAITRESS OVER
AND STARTED
TO EXPLAIN
A TIRED OLD MAN
HIS TARNISHED HORN
HAD MEMORIES
OF YEARS GONE BY
HOW HE
PLAYED HIS HORN
AND REMINISCED
AND SMILED
WITH TEAR-DIMMED EYES
SHE SAID
YOU ARE MISTAKEN
THERE'S BEEN
NO ONE BUT YOU
BUT I KNOW WHO
YOU'RE TALKIN' 'BOUT
I USED TO KNOW HIM TOO
YOU'LL FIND HIM
DOWN ON BASIN STREET
IN BACK
OF AN OLD CHURCHYARD
A STONE THAT READS
REST IN PEACE
I TRIED
BUT IT SURE WAS HARD
SLAPPED HIS KNEE
AND GAVE A GRIN
IT SURE
WAS GOOD BACK THEN
REACHING FOR HIS HORN
ON THE FLOOR
PLACED IT IN
AN OLD TOTE SACK
THAT HUNG ACROSS
HIS BACK
HE SAID GOODBYE
THEN SHUFFLED
OUT THE DOOR
HE SAID GOODBYE
THEN SHUFFLED
OUT THE DOOR