teenage dream time hard guy blue line asphalt concrete alley retreat westside northside southside trainride never got beat you think you’re street are you ready? asks the city are you steady? the el a door to evvree shore what you see is more movie than news the soundtrack is Chicago blues think you’re ready think you’re steady junkie third rail jump down exhale reach out revolt he’s nothing but volts you failed you tried you lived he died is this the truth you want to see? the shakes the smoke inside you’re broke and now you wait for the rescue crew stare at his body through eyes all blue
the risk the chills the threats the thrills romance no pity the real city
sixteen unabashed a bar on Wabash you spun you danced skipped out on chance jukebox playing all night swaying you can ring my bell you felt you could write your stories there it helps you think mystery and drinks beyond entranced in a phthalo hue the old style sign lit up in blue
beauty despair shattered glass cop’s stare summer heat neon dark potholes rumble parks street crime busted locks heads up wrong block hustlers hustle poets rhyme don’t cross redlines it’s not yours you belong to it what good is home if you can’t roam you remember from your soul’s view the sky and lake colored all blue
wind waves notes fly 43rd Buddy Guy’s release attack Von FreeMan’s sax listen to him SunnyLand Slim Feel the frission Willie Dixon Have your Day healed Curtis Mayfield all kinds of sounds my kind of town
Mike Barrett Archive 