Casey’s Last Ride Songtext

von Emmylou Harris

Casey joins the hollow sound of silent people walking down
The stairway to the subway and the shadows down below
Following the footsteps through the neon darkened corridors
Of silent desperation, never speaking to a soul

The poison air he's breathing has a dirty smell of dying
'Cause it's never seen the sunshine and it's never felt the rain
Casey minds the arrows and ignores the fatal echoes
Of the clicking of the turnstile and the rattle of his chains

"Oh", she said, "Casey, it's been so long since I've seen you"
"Here", she said, "Just a kiss to make a body smile"
"See", she said, "I've put on new stockings just to please you"
"Lord", she said, "Casey, can you only stay awhile?"

Casey leaves the underground and stops inside the golden crown
For something wet to wipe away the chill that's on his bones
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
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 that you seldom think about me"
"Now", she said, "Now that you've a family of your own"
"Still", she said, "It's so blessed and good to feel your body"
"Lord", she said, "Casey, it's a shame to be alone"