Ol’ Tumbleweed
© by John Monteleone – 10 – 25 – 09 (rewritten 2-3-12)

Ol’ tumbleweed I call her ‘cause she walks like one
wears a little red apron as her customers make her run
got tears well-hidden from all the pain she’s won
stares like a deer caught in a headlight about to be struck down
in this cute little café in this quaint little town
feels like forever ‘til she can put the job down
limps slowly home along an old cracked street
hidden in the shadows too many hearts bleed

the light grows low
the street lamps glow
her eyes close slow

the alarm strikes six an’ she growls
outside she knows there are predators on the prowl
terror of eviction peels her out of bed
images of her youth still in her head
the light used to be brighter, when her rainbows were still on
but they ain’t no more she’d tell ya – she’s been hiding from the sun
she treads the ol’ cracked street back to the lonely-ass job
boss’s blinded by his profits like he’s workin’ for the mob
so her heart beatin’ slower ‘cause somethin’ been robbed
her lost life walked past us in the sun under the trees
hidden in the shadows too many hearts bleed

i write a song about it eating a muffin at her table
cars pass by, birds pick crumbs – it looks like a fable
i’m thinkin’ about old westerns an’ gun slingers livin’ free
seeking the american dream on a golden prairie
but even those ol’ myths have lost their melody
more like cob webs hangin’ from the statue of liberty
hidden in the shadows too many hearts bleed

‘cause ol’ tumbleweed just refilled my coffee
then limped away hoping no one’ll see
right here in the home of the brave
an’ the land of the free
hidden in the shadows too many hearts bleed