Fifth Street Song
(Fifth Street Coffee Song #1)
From "The Muse Tree (Demos)"
Julean and the Rai (as Julian Rai)
Copyright 2003 Julian D. Rai (BMI)

(Well there was somthing about the shape of this town that kind of made it ... well ... vacuously 'home-y'. The streets littered with people I knew who had nothng to do. So I took to setting up in the old Historic Distric, as a busker, in the fall of a long year; I was trying to handle the "catastrophic discharge" of my life with as much grace, calm, and quiet -- in that I could possibly trust that some Overspirit was doing something, and I ... had no idea what it was up to.)

VERSE I
Well I'm sittin' on Fifth Street
Got my case on the line
Made about five bucks so far
Saw as ex-roommate of mine
She wants her deposit back --
That kinda' made me laugh ...
I said "I thought you snorted that."

"Now girl ...
I was supposed to watch out for you, and
Look at you now, with this
Scumbag hanging off of you --
We're all stuck
Even Ryn in Hawaii
But if you want to talk deposits, I'll
Just come by --"

CHORUS
"You know, I'm sorry.
I didn't quite make it there,
I didn't have the money
To pay the fare
Things are troubled
They're changing, and they're strange
I can't keep track of nothing these days ...
Me and my 'irresponsible ways'."


VERSE II
You know I just got evicted
The other day
And I'm staying with a friend
Of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend
And I'm leaving in October
To tour the country
Yet I'm still here in Dayton
And I don't seem much to mind.

CHORUS
"You know, I'm sorry.
I didn't quite make it there,
I didn't have the money
To pay the fare
Things are troubled
They're changing, and they're strange
I couldn't care less, anyway ...
Me and my 'irresponsible ways'."

I can't keep track of nuthin' these days.

I know I promised
I tried the best I could
Always been honest
Well-meaning and good
I just find trouble
Just this side of the sane
I can't keep track of nuthin' these days
Me and my irresponsible --

VERSE III
--You know the thing about Fifth Street?
In the days it's a dive
In the evenings it's where all the night life
Comes alive
And these college kids don't pay you
But you know they'll ask you
"Do you know this song, or that song --
Get a job," or "go home" --

CHORUS
And when I leave
Pack up my case
Stack up the bills
And count all the change
I make-believe
I'm going home.

I can't keep track of nuthin' these days
Me and my "irresponsible ways" ...
Me and my "irresponsible ways" ...


Lyrics and music copyright 1999, 2003 Julian D. Rai (BMI), All Rights Reserved.