Casey joins the hollow sound
of silent people walking down
the stairway to the subway

in the shadows down below

following their footsteps

through the neon-darkened corridor
silent desperation
never speaking to a soul


the poison air he is breathing
has the dirty smell of dye

cause it's never seen the sunshine
and it's never felt the rain


but casey minds the arrows
and ignores the fatal echoes
of the clickin' of the turnstiles

and the rattle of his chains

oh, she said,

casey, it's been so long
since i seen you
here, she said

just a kiss to make a body smile
see, she said
i put on new stockings just to please you

lord, she said
casey can you only stay a while?


casey leaves the underground
and stops inside the golden crown
for something wet to wipe away

the chill that's on his bone

seeing his reflection

in the lives of all the lonely men
who reach for anything they can
to keep from going home


standing in the corner
casey drinks his pint of bitter

never glancing in the mirror
at the people passing by


and he stumbles as he's leaving
and he wonders if the reason
is the beer that's in his belly

or the tear that's in his eye

oh, she said

i suppose you seldom think about me
now, she said
now that you've a family of your own

still, she said
it's so blessed good to feel your body
lord, she said

casey, it's a shame to be alone