Have you heard of old man Joe?
He was born in Cajun land
He walks with a cane in hand
But he plays a mean banjo
Now, he lives in Kyoto
For his wife is Japanese
See her fingers dance with ease
Playing notes on the koto
Friends from Spain come by for tea
And they all play the guitar
Yes, the boy is quite bizarre
But he sings so beautifully
There's a woman you can see
In a pure white kimono
Obi tied up in a bow
Strumming on her bouzouki
Let me tell you about Yoshi
Fingers dancing on the harp
Has a pond of swimming carp
Just don't say the word "sushi"
Gave a concert, oh so zen
And just as they stood and bowed
Three notes lifted from the crowd
Played upon a shamisen
In attendance, you could see
Buddha statues made of bronze
Buddhist monks in their sarongs
Meditating silently
Then, for hours... not a sigh
Not one single note was heard
Not one single whispered word
Will it be like this all night?
At the final midnight gong
From the forest comes a cry
It's an owl perched up high
Hoo-hoo-hooting all night long
Then, a mouse came out to see
Stood on stage and gave a bow
All the Buddhist monks applaud
Buddhas smiling happily
