Lyrics The Late John Garfield Blues - Sara Watkins

The Late John Garfield Blues

Black faces pressed against the glass
Where rain has pressed it’s weight
Wind blown scarves in top down cars
All share one western trait
Sadness leaks through tear stained cheeks
From winos to dime store Jews
Probably don’t know they give me
These late John Garfield blues
Midnight fell on Franklin Street
And the lamplight bulbs were broke
For the life of me, I could not see
But I heard a brand new joke
Two men were standing upon a bridge
One jumped and screamed, you lose
And just left the odd man holding
Those late John Garfield blues
Old men sleep with their conscience at night
Young kids sleep with their dreams
While the mentally ill sit perfectly still
And live through life’s in betweens
I’m going away to the last resort
In a week or two, real soon
Where the fish don’t bite but once a night
By the cold light of the moon
Horses scream, nightmares dream
And the dead men all wear shoes
'Cause everybody’s dancin'
To those late John Garfield blues