This story is a fiction based on this story: ‘He Died because He Was Poor’ It’s terribly sad, but I think it’s perhaps the finest work I’ve done with this style of story-telling folk song.    Just hit the right balance of setting things up without really explaining.  A lot of “show, don’t tell.”  The bridge rocks rather hard, though, so I can’t quite do justice with just an acoustic guitar.

Aristotle's Hope: Rusty Clipper

 

My dad used to shave my head
With a rusty clipper that pulled my hair
‘Time has come for yer top to shed’
He grinned and said as he made me bare
He grinned as he left me bare

Didn’t have much, but always ‘nough
That’s what he had his boys believe
What didn’t break us would make us tough
No need for us to beg to receive
No need to beg to receive

No shame in hard times
Too stubborn to pretend
A cigarette too short, danced like wind chimes
His friend to the end

On the way from our fishing pond
My brother was whinin’ ’bout lack of catch
“Do I look like got a magic wand?”
‘Twas rare he snapped out like a worn-out latch
Snapped out like a worn-out latch

That night’s surprise was one-way tickets
For me and my brother to go to mom
(And) shrink-wrapped brand new comic booklets
You said, you’d come soon and take us to Guam
You said, you’d take us to Guam

No shame in hard times
Too stubborn to pretend
A cigarette too short, danced like wind chimes
Burned bright to the end

Did you think you’d do you justice at last
As you pulled out your guns that night
Random, wild shots ricocheted so fast
As you pointed away from cop’s light

When the bus driver put me on the call
Next morning of the trip to hear the tale
Of my old man’s last stand and fall
I dented the cell phone with my finger nail
I dented the cell phone with my nail

My dad used to shave my head
With a rusty clipper that pulled my hair
‘Time has come for yer top to shed’
He grinned and said as he left me bare

He grinned as he left me bare