“Paterson is a big sad poppa in need of
a little compassion”  -Allen Ginsberg

the road still runs by the river
the river still pours into town
by the time you see where you’re headed
you’re half the way down

i was bragging on my independence
saying love leaves you stumbling and dumb
then i go and dissolve
just like cotton candy
on the tip of some boy’s tongue

in the crackhouse cellars
in the weary faces
in the burnt out factories

this town knows there’s nowhere left to go
but all the way down
we all know there’s nowhere left to go
but all the way down

every sad old poppa was a proud young man
full of victories that he almost won
all the mistakes that he made
pave the streets of paterson

we made our concessions to the business
we paid our dues to the wrong guys
and we got deeply screwed
but we don’t let anyone tell us what to do anymore

we need our great falls
in the trash and foam
floats every wish we’ve ever made

this town knows there’s nowhere left to go but all the way down
we all know there’s nowhere left to go
but all the way down

oh, mio couré   (oh, my heart)
oh, mio couré   (oh, my heart)
sto morento     (i’m dying)
ma tu non mi vedi   (but you don’t see me)

from Postcards from Downtown, words and music by Dayna Kurtz

Buy Postcards from Downtown here!