Marie

By townes van zandt

I stood in line and left my name

Took about six hours or so

Well, the man just grinned like it was all a game

Said they'd let me know

I put in my time till the pocono line

Shut down two years ago

I was staying at the mission till i met marie

Now i can't stay there no more

Fella 'cross town said he's lookin' for a man

To move some old cars around

Maybe me and marie could find a burned-out

Van and do a little settlin' down

Aw, but i'm just dreamin', i ain't got no ride

And the junkyard's a pretty good ways

That job's about a half week old besides

It'd be gone now anyway

Unemployment said i got no more checks

And they showed me to the hall

My brother died in georgia some time ago

I got no one left to call

Summer wasn't bad below the bridge

A little short on food that's all

Now i gotta get marie some kind of coat

We're headed down into fall

I used to play the mouth harp pretty good

Hustled up a little dough

But i got drunk and i woke up rolled

A couple of months ago

They got my harp and they got my dollar

Them low life so and so's

Harps cost money and i ain't got it

It's my own fault i suppose

The pocono's down but the chesapeak's runnin'

Two freights everyday

If it was just me i'd be headed south

But marie can't catch no train

She's got some pain and she thinks it's a baby,

Says we gotta wait and see

In my heart i know it's a little boy

Hope he don't end up like me

Well, the man's still grinnin' says he lost my file

I gotta stand in line again

I want to kill him but i just say no

I had enough of that line my friend

I head back to the bridge, its getting kinda cold

I'm feelin' too low down to lie

I guess i'll just tell marie the truth

Hope she don't break down and cry

Marie she didn't wake up this morning

She didn't even try

She just rolled over and went to heaven

My little boy safe inside

I laid them in the sun where somebody'd find them

Caught a chesapeak on the fly

Marie will know i'm headed south

So's to meet me by and by

Marie will know i'm headed south

So to meet me by and by