You Can Call Me Al
Reflections in the Concrete Jungle
Lyrics
A man walks down the street and says
A man contemplates his physical state and life's challenges.
"Why am I soft in the middle?
Expressing a sense of vulnerability in the midst of life's difficulties.
Why am I soft in the middle?
-When the rest of my life is so hard
-I need a shot at redemption
Desire for redemption and avoiding a shallow, unfulfilling existence.
And I want a photo opportunity
-Don't want to end up a cartoon
-In a cartoon graveyard"
Reference to a "Bonedigger" and a graveyard, possibly symbolizing death and mortality.
Bonedigger, Bonedigger
Interaction with characters (Bonedigger, Mr. Beerbelly) representing challenges and nuisances.
Dogs in the moonlight
-Far away from my well-lit door
-And Mr. Beerbelly, Beerbelly
-Get these mutts away from me
-You know, I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
Loss of amusement with life's struggles.
So if you'll be my bodyguard
Proposal for a partnership (bodyguard) and the exchange of names (Betty and Al).
I can be your long lost pal
-And I can call you Betty
-And Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al
-A man walks down the street and says
Another man reflects on his life, the absence of attention, and the loss of a role model.
"Why am I short of attention?
-Got a short little span of attention
-And, whoa, my nights are so long
-Where's my wife and family?
-What if I die here?
-Who'll be my role model
-Now that my role model is gone, gone?"
-He ducked down the alley
Narrative of events, including encounters and rumors.
With some roly-poly little bat-faced girl
-And all along, all along
-There were incidents and accidents
-There were hints and allegations
-So if you'll be my bodyguard
Reiteration of the proposal for a partnership (bodyguard) and the exchange of names (Betty and Al).
I can be your long lost pal
-I can call you Betty
-And Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al
-A man walks down the street
Description of a foreign man in a strange world, observing surroundings and finding spiritual significance.
It's a street in a strange world
-Maybe it's the third world and
-Maybe it's his first time around
-Doesn't speak the language
-And he holds no currency
-He is a foreign man and
-He is surrounded by the sound, the sound of
-Cattle in the marketplace
-Scatterlings of orphanages
-And he looks around, around
-And he sees angels in the architecture
-Spinning in infinity
-And he says, "Amen and Hallelujah"
-So if you'll be my bodyguard
Repetition of the partnership proposal and name exchange.
I can be your long lost pal
-And I can call you Betty
-And Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al
-If you'll be my bodyguard
Final restatement of the partnership proposal and name exchange.
I can be your long lost pal
-And I can call you Betty
-And Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al
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