"THE MACKENZIES"

BILL CALLAHAN 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc5mU2-sKcU 

My car broke down
In front of my house
I was turning it over and over
And an older man came runnin' out
He said "Don't you do that, son
You'll only make it worse

I'll call my buddy Koji
He can fix anything
And he owes me
And my just look at the time
It's almost beer-thirty
Ya must be thirsty
Come on inside with me
Join the family"
Inside it seemed a place had already been laid for me

We never met before
Despite livin' next door
See I'm the type of guy
Who sees a neighbor outside
And stays inside and hides
I'll run that errand another time

As Jack and I bonded over our love of Mel Tormé
And the early movies of Kid and Play
Brenda brought the drinks in on a tray
And said "For dinner you must stay"
It was such a comfy and cozy den
And I wished that Jack would call me "son" again

After dinner we talked some more
Brenda stretched and quickly said
"Let me show you to your bed"

There were photos on the wall
Of a boy maybe twenty-one or so
Leanin' against a brand new Camaro
I could tell by his eyes that he had died
Some time ago
And his room kept alive

I peaked outside through the blinds
At my house next door in the sun
Wife in the rec room
Kids'd be home from school soon
I thought I'd just shut my eyes for five

When I opened them again
Night had come
And brought two figures to the door
And they said "Son, it's okay."
"It's okay. Son. Son. We're okay. We're okay."