Bad Penny

It all started when I kissed you
You smiled because you knew
There was something set in motion
Only currency could move
You led me to an empty bench inside a public park
You made me wait,
You watched my watch,
And watched the sky go dark.
I looked around and got nervous
I heard a crying crow
And a tiny cirlce rolled our way and settled in the snow
You pointed at that penny
And it pointed back at you
And our great emancipator told yours truly what to do

He said, "We've all got money,
We've all got time.
So, let's sell the house, sell the car,
Sell the deed to a copper mine.
Maybe the rock of ages is just another stone
And to his empty childen: leave this empty world alone."

I grabbed your hand and hurried
Knew we didn't have much time
We left the trail and ran like hell to make it out alive.
We scurried under bushes like a field mouse from a snake
I felt a tug upon my shirt sleeve from a beggar at the gate.

He said, "Can you spare a nickle son, I'm down to my last two."
I said that I was done with change
So a dollar would have to do
But when first I touched my wallet
Then I realized my mistake
Our great emancipator's big green head began to shake

He said, "I'll see your penny and raise you ninety-nine,
Seems all your gods and prophets never reached the welfare line
Maybe the rock of ages is just another stone
And to his empty childen: leave this empty world alone."

I tossed away that greenback and that beggar-man just laughed
I hailed a speeding taxicab before it hurried past
He asked me, "Where to mister?"
Up to Sixth and Fifty-Third.
I looked at you, you looked at me
And we didn't speak a word.
There was silence in the city
As we passed under the moon
And that taxi-man starting whistling some old antebellum tune.
He turned around to face us 'neath the lights of Broadway
And that tall man in the tophat said,
"There's something I've got to say:
I don't want your money, just a minute of your time
You can sell your house, sell your kids,
Sell your soul to the picket line.
Maybe the rock of ages is just another stone
But to his empty childen: leave this world alone."