Richmond you got your feet to the fire
and your wheels are in a ditch
you put the stiffs in the ground when eyes drift skyward
Mr. Charlies just acts like he knows
we're all jumping and shouting and full of sin
and we dream (of an albatross)
all the little babies born to young lovers
die at the hands of bad jobs

a textbook case of stalled on the tracks
of carbon decay and drown in the James

in the smitty that burned or high up downtown
you can hear them all gasping for air
as they write their dear johns with lumps in their throats
can't shake the ghosts of old wars that live there
we're all running and hiding we're smiling and bowing
and our teeth they chatter with fear
when we close our eyes and go away from here
we are loathe to the death of our dreams

chorus then end