Croakin' to be Known

the Singing Frog 

live in Concert 4/11/2027 

Intro 

I’m halfway there. 

The worst that I could do to a bunch of growing kids is tell them that I’m halfway there. And I just said that. I’m not quite there, actually, but I’m soon going to be and it’s all I can think about right now. 

Any moment now the bell would toll and I would go on my halftime break.

“Am I in the lead?” I ask myself. 

“Does it matter?” I respond. 

There’s peace and there’s quiet. I’ve grown a beard and I’ve shaved it too. I’ve found my inner Dylan and made peace with him, if that’s even possible. I think life can’t get any more conclusive. 

You know you’re growing old when you write your autobiography. I am growing old.

(starts harmonica/guitar-strum. Song begins) 

a Blackboard for a worldview, striving to be clean, 

sign your name on the pamphlet, sir, 

and take one for the team; 

fighting with them crocodiles, an angel on the phone, 

describes a life invested in Croaking to be Known 

he started like a paragraph and broke it down to verse, 

a Song for you, sweet lady, and another song for her; 

“where’s the fun in that?” she said, 

he tried to tell a joke 

that described a life invested in Croaking to be Known 

his Humour on a mission, his anger not announced, 

with every word he uttered 

he was told to watch his mouth; 

a hundred ways to freedom, now, the road is not your own, 

describes a life invested in Croaking to be Known 

paint some Stars, paint some Stripes, get the lines to blur, 

concoct some broken images, 

put some powder and then stir; 

a minute on the pedestal you’ve been dreaming all along, 

to describe a life invested in Croaking to be Known 

“a Thousand!” called the Auctioneer, 

Ten thousand, and he sells, 

a time when but a hundred would do him fairly well; 

sometimes you’ve got to lose it all to find what’s going on, 

to fight a life invested in Croaking to be Known 

so He sat himself with children, with a paper and a frown, 

he saw their world, polluted, that he vowed to turn around; 

he got some war-paint, put some on 

and he sang a protest song 

to reprise a life invested in Croaking to be Known 

the Frog brought him fame that the Frog took away, 

and the summer stole his silverware 

that returned in silver rain; 

what’s the point in worrying when there’s no point at all? 

describes a life invested in Croaking to be Known 

and Yesterday was calling back, asking for a smoke, 

he blew some on her bitterness 

and threw her out the door; 

Today, he bought a building with a basement and a floor, 

and inside, a life invested in Croaking to be Known 

Croaking to be known, Croaking to be known, 

a life alive, a life aloud, a life – rest-assured; 

of juggling faces with a hat out 

for the coins you get thrown, 

describes a life invested in Croaking to be known 

my heart would turn her sullen, 

a rhyme would drive her out, 

but everything I seem to need, I seem to need it now; 

“ever struggle, never quit – go easy on the show,” 

describes a life invested in Croaking to be known 

Outro 

All proceeds go to the hunger foundation back home. 

It means you’re paying for my food. 

Be generous. Thank you!