i wanna learn a love song

i come fresh from the street

fast on my feet

kinda lean and lazy

not much meat on my bones

and a whole lot alone

more than a little bit crazy

and the old six-string

was all i had

to keep my belly still

and for each full hour lesson i gave

i got a crisp

ten dollar bill

you see

she was married for seven years

to a concrete castle king

she said

she wanted to learn to play the guitar

and to hear her children sing

so

i'd show up about once a week

in my faded tight-legged jeans

with a backlog full of hobo stories

and dilapidated dreams

she said

i wanna learn a love song