I Cried During Wall Street - Mark Kozelek

Tonight I’m turning in pretty beat

Getting notices that my flight to San Francisco might be canceled

From New Orleans due to unusual cold weather in the southeast

There was a light rain coming down as I walked down

Pretending tonight that air never felt so chilly

If my flight is canceled tonight I hope I get to stay another day

I hope to see my favorite three New Orleans strays

Biscuit and Creampuff and Angryface

I saw Angryface today and my gosh she came toward me

From the porch of an unusually fast pace

Angryface came toward me from the porch

Of the house who gives her scraps

And I let her warm up to me

She kept rubbing her short-haired gray body against my black jeans

I said, «Goodbye, see you the next time I’m in New Orleans»

And I went to the cafe across from the Guest House like I do every day

And I walked back and I saw Creampuff

Drag a flattened Popeye’s box across the parking lot

I told her when I leave tomorrow, I’m gonna miss her a lot

And I told her to give Biscuit a kiss for me

I’m gonna miss that little Biscuit, I’m sad I didn’t get to see her today

I took a hot tub today in the sauna and hit the punching bag at the gym

To sweat out the crud that’s been building up in my system

From the gumbo and the dirty rice and the turtle soup

The rich food down here that I’m addicted to

And as I got out of the hot tub, the air was so cold

I thought about getting back home and making love to you

And when I went to bed, I turned on the TV

And I cried during the middle of Wall Street

The touching bedside scene with Martin and his son Charlie Sheen

When Martin had a heart attack and they were both sitting there crying

And Charlie said, «I know I never told you this before dad, but I love you»

Yeah I love my dad, yeah I love my dad

And that scene in Wall Street touched on my worst fear

The thought of losing my dad

I fear that day that I’m beside him crying next to his hospital bed

Don’t know what regrets I’ll have

But I know that «I love you» cannot be said enough times

Yeah, I told my dad I loved him so many times

And I dread the «I love you» that will be the final time

I already don’t like goodbyes, I don’t like goodbyes

Like the ones that I have to say to my love, Caroline

Even when I know that I’m gonna see her in two to three weeks' time

Yeah I hate goodbyes, yeah I hate goodbyes

I even hated saying goodbye to the angry face cat

With those hungry black eyes

Then it was 1 AM and I thought

«Hey, damn if it isn’t Muhammad Ali’s birthday»

January 17th, they light up the street from my home

It’s where he eventually lost to Spinks at the Superdome

Then I watched Faisal Arrimi throwing bobs at Junior Maximus

On my television set, filmed in Africa

Arrimi did well but lost his title to Junior Maximus

Then I read a little more about the working boy, Ignatius

And his obsession to improve social injustices

At his place of work, Levy Pants

I related to Ignatius' obsessiveness

Some will call this a song, some will call this a rant

And those who call you crazy

For being focused and getting all projects done

Maybe they’re just jealous of your genius

And are part of the confederacy of dunces

Some eat popcorn to the downfall of TV celebrities

If that’s what you choose to luxuriate in

That’s your soap opera baby, not me

Then I put the book down

Thinking my limbo in New Orleans has ended

It’s time to go back home and play a concert

And face my 2017 expenses

Woke up this morning and dusted and vacuumed

And rolled up my old Asian rug

That’s the most expensive thing in my home

And I don’t want it destroyed by no Gulf Coast flood

Then I walked out into the street

And said, «Fuck, hey what do you know»

Right below that palm tree on Martin Luther King is a patch of snow

Patches of snow all up and down the trolley line

Called my girlfriend, said, «Is my flight leaving?»

She said, «Yeah, I looked it up, it’s leaving and on time»

I’m on United Airlines, seat 10D

A middle-aged man in a sweatsuit

Is playing video games like a little kid, beside me

And I’m reading more about Ignatius

He’s at work, holding up a banner and building crosses

And people are thinking he’s an artist

I like reading about the life and times of the working boy Ignatius

Just closed the book right now because I’m tired on Chapter 7

And here’s where the words for my new album had just ended

January 17th, 2018, United Airlines, seat 10D

Can’t wait to see you baby, can’t wait to see you baby