GK: (PIANO UNDER)
O to be free, to glide, to stride, to float, to dance, to play,
To walk along gaily on a warm spring day,
And be ambulatory, perambulatory, and peripatetic,
Not lumbering along in a parka feeling pathetic,
But bouncing along in short sleeves and bare shins,
Absorbing the sun's vitamins,
Wearing Italian moviestar sunglasses,
Grinning at everyone who passes.
(PIANO INTERMEZZ)
(THEN GUITAR UNDER)
O it is spring it is spring it is primavera, Fruhling, printemps, vaaren,
And winter though it had its moments was too long and rather boring
I would rather be here watching this yellow Labrador
In the pet store sniffing the butts of the four
Dog manikins and then striking a classic pose of dog ballet
Extending his hind leg and marking the doorway.
GK: (MANDO UNDER...)
O spring is fragrant, it is savory, aromatic, spicy, and salty
It is allegro like the spring movement of The Four Seasons of Vivaldi.
The man in the white t-shirt sits on the street corner across from the bank, opposite the sushi bar,
And the sun shines on him and he basks in it and from a passing car
Comes a song we used to love back in the day,
AND SHE'LL HAVE FUN FUN FUN TIL HER DADDY TAKES THE T-BIRD AWAY.
(BASS INTERMEZZ) (AND BASS UNDER...)
And the grass is green and glistening and dewy,
And people sit there who maybe are slightly screwy
But they have a right to be -- it is spring after all,
And four women go running by all at once
Who have been running on treadmills for months
And now at last they are unleashed, and free
To run at their own pace, slower or faster,
Like young colts out of the stall and into the pasture.
And on a springday everyone is a lover
And birds flutter in the trees and hummingbirds hover,
And humor is in the air and anger goes back into its cave
And drivers stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk and they wave
And schoolchildren skip along with their backpacks,
Carefully not stepping on cracks,
It is a rule that need not even be spoken,
But thanks to them their mothers' backs will not be broken.
(PERCUSSION INTERMEZZ, AND UNDER...)
GK:
A cop goes by on a bike, no one is in a hurry,
Someone says hi and you stop and talk to Murray
Who is the ex-husband of your best friend Molly
But that's all gone now, all that marital melancholy
And those intense mournful discussions
Of the union that was painfully torn asunder.
Now we're back to gratitude and awe and wonder
And looking at the world with awestruck eyes
And people on park benches talk to passerbys --
Or I should say they talk to passersby
On a spring day under a sunny sky
A day of rebirth and reawakening
When parents are patient with their offspring
Who for the sheer thrill of it pick up a handful of dirt
Studying it like a dirt expert.
And spritely birds do their bird walk, and bob and waddle,
As warble full-throttle,
And dandelions spring up whom some call a weed
But to themselves they are a flower indeed.
(MUSIC OUT)
GK:
A spring day and the air so sweet
And you stretch your legs going down the street
Looking at the street artists and their exhibitions,
Stopping to listen to the street musicians,
The old guitarist standing in front of the drugstore
Playing a tune you might have heard before (PAT D),
And here by the bookstore, by the remainder bin,
A man sits on a stool and plays his violin. (PETE)
And then from the curb beside a pickup truck it's
Two drummers pounding on big plastic buckets. (MARK & PETER)
And around the corner by the deli a very cool cat
Playing his mouth organ, sitting cross-legged on a mat,
And people have stuffed dollar bills and even a couple fives in his hat. (RICH D)
And you head up the street and here in front of your favorite coffee place
Stands a man playing the string bass
And only a few quarters in his enormous instrument case (GARY R)
And now from down the street comes the sound -- O pure joy--
Can it be a bagpiper and is he really playing "O Danny Boy"? (TOM K)
(PIANO UNDER)
GK:
O let us stop here at this outdoor vegan cafe and order
A shot of wheatgrass for three and a quarter
Which gives you antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins, and enzymes
Which in these stressful times
Will increase mental clarity, energy, brighten mood, and yes,
It will ease your stress.
And if you want to get really loose
You could order fresh algae in ginger juice,
Or a drink of grapefruit, apple & celery, garnished with a sprig of mint --
And why stint?
Why not experience the total jubilation
Of eating vegetation --
A vegetable tortilla with sprouted seed filling,topped with spicy salsa verde served with black beans and rice
The pumpkin seed-walnut burger also looks nice
Or the shredded kale and sea vegetables with basil, cilantro,
mint, & cashews in an Indian Coconut-Curry Sauce.
And on the side you can order fresh moss.
I smell rhubarb, scallions, hotdogs, kelp, and yes,
That woman used a shampoo made from watercress,
And men are flying kites and up they go
Over the English class sitting on the grass talking about Henry David Thoreau,
Next to the guy who is looking at the earth on his laptop thanks to wireless,
Next to the woman reading the trashy novel in which women in white dresses fall in love with men with great pectorals though they are Irish,
Next to the woman doing yoga stretches, downward facing dog and the heron rising higher,
And from the distance I believe I hear a choir.
CHOIR:
It is February but it's spring in Minnesota YES!
We are on the verge of joy, enlightenment and happiness
Flowers blooming, trees are leafy, grass is green, the sky is blue
If you have a little faith then you can make it all come true.
(WOMEN)
We are wearing little purple tank tops with spaghetti straps
Tulip skirts with purple leggings and stiletto heels perhaps
Or should we wear the strappy shoes or little pumps by Jimmy Choo
Or the sandals or the flip flops -- lemon, green or coral blue.
GK:
Tulips blooming, crocuses, and daffodils and peonies
And the bees are buzzing round the blossoms of the apple trees
Here's a Frisbee floating floating spinning through the air towards you
All you need to do is catch it, you will make your dreams come true
It is February but it's spring in Minnesota YES!
We are on the verge of joy, enlightenment and happiness
It is here, the sky is clear, the flowers bloom for you, my dear,
All our troubles now are over, finally the spring is here.