David’s Dead

Oranges are not for sale At any store for several blocks around The part of town that where fruit just brings in flies Corner building used to be something else And now it's finally sold Then it's eight stories high in two years time Laundry folded in a bag Underneath a chart of price-per-pound Quarter machine out of order sign "Open on holidays" Used to be a corner with a mural of folks That you would see walking around Used to be a shop where a guy could fix Anything that had broke down Used to be a man who I'd see around And he used to be my pal But I just heard the news that David's dead Still tryna wrap my head around I have paid rent to the same Lord of land for ten-plus years, and now I'm tired as hell of living life this way Faces in the hallway change and you know who to let in and out No one says hello or meets your eye So-called friend who only says "Let's hang out" if he runs into me He says next week and I see him in five I remember parties where people would dance to rock 'n' roll all night I remember parties where people would show up just to start a fight I remember nights when we did both and I remember what you wore A turquoise dress and tequila grin A mirthful mess when you walk in the door Can collectors making rounds after dark And I can hear them clank I just drank and it's money in the bank Ten cents in Michigan Witnesses just rang my bell Saturday when I was sleeping in Is that why their magazine's called Awake? You can see me laughing to myself alone Walking down the steps to the train You can see me writing words in a book Waiting for a bus in the rain You can see a stranger asking me for a buck And you can see me saying "sure" 'Cause I just got the word that David's dead You won't see him ask me anymore