Party Line

I'll preface this by saying that the rough draft was written approx. two weeks before the 9/11 attacks. I had just come back from New York. Took me awhile to finish it. The famous "Bottom Line" is closed. There are several musical references throughout, notably to JG's "Land of the Bottom Line" and the song/magazine, "No Depression".

Party Line

Took some time last week, got up to The Apple
Land of the Bottom Line, then I grabbed me a Snapple
Headed out route 22
Got to New Jersey, turned and looked back
Like Lot’s wife ummmmm….
I jus’ had to
Didn’t turn to salt, jus’ felt the need for a shower
Headed south, down thru the mornin’ hours
Drivin' fast - amazed I’d got on past

(chorus)
And I’ve heard them all, almost
And almost all their songs are good, 
Almost all the time 
They toe that party line
And you can can tell just where they're goin'
All the trials and tribulations
They have made it through
They are alllllll, just soooo misunderstood



I turn on NPR to catch the BBC
No Depression, I jus’ feel the need
To know things - still don’t agree
You get used to it, and you pick on thru
And in between you catch a bit of news
You take it anyway, ‘cause you know that play
Huge island in between the coasts
Don’t count much ‘less they’re countin’ votes
And only sometimes
And it’s all jus’ one big reservation
It’s a wonder how they’ve caaaged a nation
District at a time, inside them party lines

I pull off the road, surprise, surprise
It’s a two lane truck stop diner-dive
‘jus too close to real for some
Make a great short-short to marvel on
Oh notice how the colors run together
…. No matching federal funds
If I don’t pay the tax, I must not love my neighbor
“Government is good!”, and I can buy its favor
And the party line mmmm….
And it’s back to one big reservation
Amazing how they’ve caaaged a nation
District at a time, to save that party line

(Chorus)
Got to New Jersey, turned and looked back
Like Lot’s wife ummmmm….
I jus’ had to
Didn’t turn to salt, jus’ felt the need for a shower
Headed south, down thru the mornin’ hours
Drivin' fast


Ó 2003, D. Dain