American Wind

This song and video by Blue Oyster Cult has been haunting me for two days.

Shooting Shark

by Donald Roeser and Patti Smith
©1983 Mega-Diz Music, Inc.

Well I bumped inside the magic man
And he laid some tricks on me
He said, “You do need help, my friend”
I whispered, “Obviously”
He laid a spread of Jacks and Queens
And he bade me take my pick
But every face it had your face
I cried out, “I am sick”

Sick of hauling your love around
Want to run the train alone
But the engine tracks straight through your heart
And weighs me like a stone

Oh, it’s a hard load to love you
It takes up all my time, having you
So familiar
Like last life’s
Nursery rhyme

So I gave away the pictures
And your golden ring
And the phone calls you sent me
And the silver birds that sing
Then the man he told me something
That really brought me down
Your things were thrown away, it’s true
But you were still in town

Sick of hauling your love around
Want to run the train alone
But the engine tracks straight through your heart
And weighs me like a stone

Oh, it’s a hard load to love you
It takes up all my time, having you
So familiar
Like last life’s
Nursery rhyme

The magician left a message
It flashes when I hide
Accept the chains of loving
Accept or else remove yourself from her side
And do without her love
And I lay back with a steel chain
I keep it by my side
I could mail a letter to you but I still
Have my pride

Sick of hauling your love around
Want to run the train alone
But the engine tracks straight through your heart
And weighs me like a stone

Three times I’ve sent you back from me
Three times my bones gone dry
And three times I’ve seen the shooting shark
Lighting up the sky

Oh, it’s a hard load to love you, babe
It takes my breath away
The fourth time around
Is the last time around
There’s nothing else to say