SILVERSTEIN, Shel
Where the sidewalk ends
There is a place where the sidewalk ends
and before the street begins,
and there the grass grows soft and white,
and there the sun burns crimson bright,
and there the moon-bird rests from his flight
to cool in the peppermint wind.
Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
and the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
we shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow
and watch where the chalk-white arrows go
to the place where the sidewalk ends.
Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
and we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
for the children, they mark, and the children, they know,
the place where the sidewalk ends.
Sylvia’s mother
Sylvia's mother says: "Sylvia's busy,
Too busy to come to the phone."
Sylvia's mother says: "Sylvia's tryin'"
"To start a new life of her own."
Sylvia's mother says: "Sylvia's happy"
"So, why don't you leave her alone?"
And the operator says:
"40 cents more for the next 3 minutes."
Please, Mrs. Avery, I just gotta talk to her,
I'll only keep her a while.
Please Mrs. Avery,
I just wanna tell 'er goodbye.
Sylvia's mother says: "Sylvia's packin’”
"She's gonna be leavin' today."
Sylvia's mother says: "Sylvia's marryin'"
"A fella down Galveston way."
Sylvia's mother says: "Please don't say nothin'"
"To make her start cryin' and stay."
And the operator says:
"40 cents more for the next 3 minutes."
Please, Mrs. Avery, I just gotta talk to her,
I'll only keep her a while.
Please Mrs. Avery,
I just wanna tell 'er goodbye.
Sylvia's mother says: "Sylvia's hurryin'"
"She's catchin' the nine o'clock train."
Sylvia's mother says: "Take your umbrella,"
"cause Sylvie, it's startin' to rain."
And Sylvia's mother says: "Thank you for callin',"
"And, sir, won't you call back again?"
And the operator says:
"40 cents more for the next 3 minutes."
Please, Mrs. Avery, I just gotta talk to her,
I'll only keep her a while.
Please Mrs. Avery,
I just wanna tell 'er goodbye.
Tell her goodbye.
Please.
Tell her goodbye.
The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan
The morning sun touched lightly on
The eyes of Lucy Jordan
In her white suburban bedroom
In a white suburban town,
As she lay there 'neath the covers,
Dreaming of a thousand lovers,
Till the world turned to orange
nd the room went spinning 'round.
At the age of 37
She realized she'd never ride
Through Paris in a sports car
With the warm wind in her hair.
So she let the phone keep ringing
As she sat there, softly singing
Little nursery rhymes she'd memorized
In her daddy's easy chair.
Her husband is off to work,
And the kids are off to school,
And there were, oh, so many ways
For her to spend the day:
She could clean the house for hours
Or rearrange the flowers
Or run naked through the shady streets,
Screaming all the way!
At the age of 37
She realized she'd never ride
Through Paris in a sports car
With the warm wind in her hair.
So she let the phone keep ringing
As she sat there, softly singing
Little nursery rhymes she'd memorized
In her daddy's easy chair.
The evening sun touched gently on
The eyes of Lucy Jordan
On the roof top, where she climbed
When all the laughter grew too loud.
And she bowed and curtsied to the man
Who reached and offered her his hand,
And he led her down to the long white car
That waited past the crowd.
At the age of 37
She knew she'd found forever,
As she rolled along through Paris
With the warm wind in her hair.
I got stoned and I missed dit
I was sitting in my basement I just rolled myself a taste
Of something green and gold and glorious to get me through the day
Then my friend yelled through the transom "Grab your coat and get your hat son
There's a nut down on the corner, givin' dollar bills away"
But I sat around a bit and then I had another hit
And then I rolled myself a bomber thought about my momma
Looked around fooled around played around while and then
I got stoned and I missed it I got stoned and I missed it
I got stoned and it rolled right by…..
I got stoned and I missed it
Now it took seven months of urging just to get that local virgin
With the sweet face up to my place to fool around a bit
Next day she woke up rosy and she snuggled up so cosy
When she asked me how I liked it Lord it hurt me to admit
I was stoned and I missed it
Now I ain't makin' no excuses for the many things I uses
Just to sweeten my relationships and brighten up my day
But when my earthly race is over and I'm ready for the clover
And they ask me how my life has been I guess I'll have to say
I was stoned and I missed it