a song by hank snow
Movin' On
and one that mentions him
HE'S AN OLD NOVA SCOTIAN
Bob Snider
He's an old Nova Scotian
far from the ocean
lost and alone on the street.
He looks like a lobster,
all boiled and red.
His coat is so greasy
his eyes are half-dead.
He doesn't remember
the last thing he said.
He's a derelict,
dead on his feet.
But that's no reason
to be sitting there teasing him,
laughing the way that you are.
You're a far sadder sight
in the deep of this night
in this cold, neon lit, coffee bar.
He comes to the counter
carrying his guitar
and he sits in the stool next to mine.
The boys at the tables
are yelling requests
but the old guy
doesn't pay them no mind.
Then he jumps up and shouts
"I come from the South Shore.
I left in the fifties 'cause
the living was poor
but I've spent all these years
walking up and down Bloor Street
living on handouts and wine."
Then he strums his guitar
and he starts in to sing
but the words don't make sense
and he gets caught in the strings.
But what was by far
the sorriest thing
was the audience howling for more.
And the manager doesn't know
what to do next
- he's been through this so many times.
He's asking him, please,
to put down the guitar
as the audience starts throwing dimes.
And the old man is standing there,
so out of place,
when he lays the guitar on the floor
and a beautiful smile
crosses his face
like he isn't there any more.
He pulls out a clipping
from a long time ago.
He says: "Here's my buddy,
his name is Hank Snow."
And some of the tables
yell back: "Yeah, we know."
As the manager
shows him the door.
But all that's no reason
to be sitting there teasing him,
laughing the way that you are.
You're a far sadder sight
in the deep of this night
in this cold, neon lit coffee bar.
You're a far sadder sight
and the losers tonight
in this cold, neon lit coffee bar.
