Stranger in an even stranger land
Trying his best to find his way
“It’s not going to be easy”, they said
“Some are gonna play with your head
“You’ve got something going against you, son
“It’s about the colour of your skin
“You’re not going to be welcomed aboard
“Be prepared to sink or swim”
Watched my father bend over to belong
Saw my mother slowly lose her mind
Heard every one of those family secrets
You never know what you might find
Love will always stay and last forever
Even when everything else has gone
But as loneliness is not a good place to be
Someone new always comes along
And they came from all over the world
They were looking for tea and sympathy
And you enjoyed them feeling very needed
You always had time for their dark company
Saw my old man drowning fast
He was trying to make ends meet
Parents were trying their best to fit in
It’s tough when life’s always on Repeat
But you were so much younger then
Life was always on auto glide
One took the bad with the rest
And ended up on the other side
Slow down, she would always say
There’s no runaway train to catch
Learned much from she who left too soon
She got lost in the cabbage patch
Me and Steve we had it all
We didn’t know it at the time
We had our own ways to communicate
And make all those big words rhyme
We learned much from observation
It was the best school there ever was
We always kept our thinking in check
And took in everything we saw
Some things we didn’t wanna see
But sometimes one must face the truth
Life is never a bed of roses
There’s always a thorn hiding in the bush
Lost Sundance along the way
Maybe he just didn’t wanna be found
He checked outta here way too soon
His drums were looking for a different sound
Met the right girl along the way
She was everything and more
But nothing ever really lasts forever
At least that’s how a love song goes
You hold on and keep holding on
You really want this thing to work
But when losing the keys again and again
You’re just rummaging in the dirt
Went from North Point to Causeway Bay
From Caine Road to Bonham Strand
Park Place and Jardine’s Lookout
With no one offering a giving hand
Guess good things come to those who wait
A young family and a cat and dog
We were going uptown fast
Not bad for a kid once called a wog
Learned how to make the most with words
Used them to create stories and poems
Used them to repel battle lines
Let words lead to where I was goin’
Met the creative world and old Hollywood
Some legends became good friends
There were fast ladies around the world
Who would want this lifestyle to end?
Temptation is always a dangerous thing
One good blow leads to two more
The world gets hazy and crazy
There are suddenly different doors
You cut your losses and just move on
It’s best for her and you
Flesh and blood go down the drain
There’s suddenly someone new
And so you start all over again
You roll those dice and play
Sometimes the numbers add up
Nothing is ever always grey
You’re right back on that horse again
A new winning streak has begun
You take chances and hope for the best
You make some very brave inside runs
Danish tarts and mixed down thoughts
Taking things further in taxi rides
Erotic exotic neurotic daytripper days
All those slow dances on the wild side
Everybody wants something more
But nobody knows anything for sure
And so it was always back to the buffet table
Searching for some secret cure
Hooked and wanted to be led astray
Wanted to go way over the cliff
But even that wasn’t good enough
It was all about the chase of the thrill
Don’t worry about those who criticise
They’ll test you at every turn
They’ve got nothing really going for them
And jealousy must always be earned
Sun rises another evening falls
Saw an entire city just fall apart
But when you’ve seen almost everything
It’s just making another new start
She’s been patient and has waited for you
Cheongsamed girl wearing flats
She knows her way around a lion’s den
Legal brain who knows the stats
Copyright ©️ Hans Ebert
April 2022