The Last Time I Saw Richard-Joni Mitchell
The last time I saw Richard
was Detroit in '68,
And he told me all romantics
meet the same fate someday
Cynical and drunk and boring
someone in some dark cafe
You laugh,
he said you think you're immune,
go look at your eyes
They're full of moon
You like roses and kisses
and pretty men to tell you
All those pretty lies, pretty lies
When you gonna realise
they're only pretty lies
Only pretty lies, just pretty lies
He put a quarter in the Wurlitzer,
and he pushed
Three buttons
and the thing began to whirr
And a bar maid came by
in fishnet stockings and a bow tie
And she said "Drink up now
it's gettin' on time to close."
"Richard, you haven't really changed,"
I said
It's just that now you're romanticizing
some pain that's in your head
You got tombs in your eyes,
but the songs
You punched are dreaming
Listen, they sing of love so sweet,
love so sweet
When you gonna get yourself
back on your feet?
Oh and love can be so sweet,
so sweet
Richard got married to a figure skater
And he bought her a dishwasher
and a Coffee percolator
And he drinks at home now
most nights with the TV on
And all the house lights left up bright
I'm gonna blow this damn candle out
I don't want Nobody
comin' over to my table
I got nothing to talk to anybody about
All good dreamers
pass this way some day
Hidin' behind bottles in dark cafes
Dark cafes
Only a dark cocoon
before I get my gorgeous wings
And fly away
Only a phase,
these dark cafe days