Rio Grande

I guess you were right all along

As much as you said it

You were in love with me

But you couldn't stand my singing

The neons of the theater

Down at Hollywood and Vine

Were trembling on and on,

Day and night,
when I passed by

Every letter fired up but one

One that would never work

I used to open the windows and shout

Every morning

To this rusty bright

Burned up

Vulture nest like

City

And it was all because of you

Running like amphetamines in my fueled up veins

With your smell of sweat and white wine

You used to work as a dancer at the Big Macao

five days a week

but mostly nights

And dressed up like a Honk Kong gal to do your little number…

Man, you did really look beautiful in that 5 pennies red silk and gold dress

And you applied some make up so your eyes looked more... oriental

(the pipe that you hid under the bed was also a part of the process)

Every time we parted
I stared at your neck and the curls of your hair as you walked away
until you dissapeared

I guess you were right

All along

Babe

But I still sing every weekend, Friday and Thursday

For 50$ a night plus tips

And drinks

Kind of a nice pay nowadays you know

I even got myself a street cat to pet every once in a while

Her name, quite sure you guessed already,

Starts by that very same neon letter

That never worked on the marquee

That very same letter…. You know…

Who would have thought after all these years

The singing is almost all I have

And everybody seem to like it

From time to time they even write about me in the papers

While your love 
your overcasted smokey love 

That was always around

Vanished like a dried up dandelion under La Cienaga’s sun

I don't know why but she reminds me of you

She cuddles when she feels like it

She jumps out of the window

The moment I’m drunk

She always comes back
the cast I mean

(up to this day at least)

and you know I am the faithful kind

who always keeps the window open just in case

I guess you were right

All along

But you know, I own a little flat up on the hills

From my window I can see the lights blink every morning when I come back home

Those lights we used to dream on

I am still here

Hanging on

and you…

you left LA a long

time

ago