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!
