Hey, Mr. Tambourine

Ah, what a night.

What a long, long night - though it wasn't meant to be a smashed one. All I wanted was a quiet night with reds to chill out some blues.

I wasn't the smashed one, though I had tons of unwanted drinks, none of which I had to pay for. If there's one thing I learned last night, it's that sitting at the bar makes a heck lot of difference that I still can't figure out.


I was so not smashed, I could actually offer to send some of the folks back home - after they'd knocked off from work.

Which made my night longer because there I was hanging around with the guys in the lit-up pub, while they cleaned up the place, counted their till for the night, fooled around the DJ console, messing up his CD collections, kanina-ing this motherfucker that motherfucker.

They crooned to Bob Dylan. They danced to 'gay' Chicago songs. And then they showed off their WWE prowess, swearing to smash some motherfucker's head and watch it splatter. Uh... I can't really name that motherfucker.

And I just laughed. And laughed, and laughed. I was just all cracked up.

I love these guys. All untainted by the superficiality of life, yet wisened by the harshness of it all.

We are more tainted, less wise. Nothing much for us to be more proud of, is there?


By 5 in the morning, the sloshed one was sober enough to walk to my car. He who was sloshed had just been celebrating his last day at the pub with all the regulars who adored him to bits.

He who was sloshed last night has a big, bright future ahead of him. Congrats, you.


I was happy to have sent Jim and Jeremy from Eastside home last night.

I didn't do much for you guys. You guys made my day instead.

And thanks for "forgetting" to bill me for my reds. =]


*****

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Though I know that evenin's empire has returned into sand,
Vanished from my hand,
Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping.
My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet,
I have no one to meet
And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship,
My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip,
My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels
To be wanderin'.
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way,
I promise to go under it.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Though you might hear laughin', spinnin', swingin' madly across the sun,
It's not aimed at anyone, it's just escapin' on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facin'.
And if you hear vague traces of skippin' reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time, it's just a ragged clown behind,
I wouldn't pay it any mind, it's just a shadow you're
Seein' that he's chasing.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Then take me disappearin' through the smoke rings of my mind,
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves,
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach,
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow.
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free,
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands,
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves,
Let me forget about today until tomorrow.

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.