Whistlin' a blues riff
In G minor, he strums
on his guitar
like no one's there.
Puts a turn on a note-
the music that comes
he's embellished
with beautiful flair.
With hat on the ground
and shades on his eyes,
he's never seen so many people around.
He's never seen-
He's only had dreams
to play his music like he's playin' it now.
Blind man on a corner
plays for some quarters
with a voice like Cocker or Cooke
Jonny Lang's in his heart
Stevie Ray's in his hands
but Jimi's in his soul if you'd look
Got his hat on the ground
in the middle of town-
It seems there's always a dollar to make
There's always somebody passin' him by
and always someone who's never caught a break
Such a pretty, little ditty
in the middle of the city
but what he never knew
was that he was just on some random corner
on a street in the middle of nowhere
on some avenue
It's just that everyone's around
and surrounds the man
with a smile on his face,
a guitar in his hands.
As- to a turn- he would pick
while playin' a lick
just like he sold his soul to Hell.
But as someone says it's just'a gimmick,
he wishes he was deaf as well.
Sometimes he wishes he wasn't
where he's got to be at---
Sometimes that's truly his only thought.
But he smiles as someone whispers back
"I think he's great whether he's blind or not".
He hears another whisper
"Most would sell their soul
to play anything the way he play.
But that's not him- he paid his toll
but that's not how he got here today.
I heard he refused to sell his soul to pay his toll,
so he gave his eyes to pay.
So now he's here with his shades on
as to the devil he'd say,
Please take my eyes
for I need my soul to play."
Blind man on a corner
playin' his heart out
with his every pulsating beat.
Gets a little more than some quarters-
the blind man on the corner's
got a million bucks at his feet.
I think if he knew he would stop,
his passion to greed
So I lamentingly thank God he's unable to see
I think if we knew we would stop
and lamentingly heed
that we should be as blind as he
But I just toss him a quarter
from my hand to the corner
as I wink at him pointlessly.
I look in his eyes
as I leave in surprise
with the blind man winking back at me.
Dedicated to all the guitarists out there who are blind to everything but their passion. Dedicated to anyone out there who lives for their passion- whatever that passion may be. May you stay focused even if you've merely got pennies at your feet.
