No Future

Father can chuckle away in his chair

„Told you so, my son, no future there“

He didn’t know the thrill of the street

The taste of the biting, morning air

The taste of the day with all to gain

There’s nothing to lose

It’s all to gain

The people go on and by and by

Buy and buy their food and clothes

One or two stand aside and hear

No blisters on their souls

They clap and they smile and they nod their thanks

With that they go, they’ve filled their tanks

I once knew a man in London town

An old man with a notice-

„Only give me silver please“

I laughed, but I did notice!

Now he’d been a-dancing since he was seven

Now let’s send him happy to heaven

A black man with a silver voice

Was pulling crowds and plenty

The kids were dancing and the parents paid

They gave him pfennigs twenty

„Hey man“, he said, „now what’s your game?“

He took his guitar, he caught the train