I’m with you in…
Rockford, where the sock monkeys sing working songs to no one
Rockford, where the steel beams keep climbing and climbing ‘till they disappear from view, the Infinity Room of abandoned Molochs
Rockford, where my uncle played drums with Cheap Trick until they met Bun E.
Rockford, where my father saw flames explode from my mother’s hair, where he lost his attitude and appetite for drink, where he always said I love you
Rockford, where you tried to come of age and failed
Rockford, where we tried to write songs and failed
Rockford, where we drove to and from county fairs as troubadours and scot-free conmen, singing Radiohead and succeeded
Rockford, where I forgave you and shouldn’t have
Rockford, where Romero drives around
Rockford, where I waited an hour outside that apartment after you begged me to visit because it was the last time we would see each other, but you were dead asleep and couldn’t hear my loud knocks on the door
Rockford, where the living dead stay
I’m with you in…
Nashville, where America kisses the Mississippi a little too hard
Nashville, where the homeless are there for decoration
Nashville, where the bachelorettes play Bloodsport for the high score
Nashville, where picking up milk or driving to the boondocks or speeding to a hookup or walking to the gig always takes exactly fifteen minutes
Nashville, where all drugs are legal until you’re the wrong race or you step out of city limits
Nashville, where college kids, movie stars, divorcee dads, and menopause moms all sing the National Anthem in the same small room
Nashville, where you taught me the meaning of cool
Nashville, where you kept me humble
Nashville, where you shared your effortless luck
Nashville, where you took us all to your family’s home, because we were family
Nashville, where I said two words in such a mean tone that I can never take back
Nashville, where you helped me keep track
I’m with you in…
Atlanta, where different dimensions collide
Atlanta, where every road’s a highway
Atlanta, where the tumbleweeds die
Atlanta, where we drank Guinness like water
Atlanta, where you found your new groove
Atlanta, where you got even fatter, which only meant you shine more brightly
Atlanta, where you still take shifts even though you’re on salary
Atlanta, where you forgave me and shouldn’t have
Atlanta, where endless After Hours fill your soul with instant karma
I’m with you in…
New York, where quarks decide on waves and particles
New York, where the smoke smells as good as the air in Seattle
New York, where Moloch rests easy, knowing the bleeding heart can’t jump that high
New York, where every man is a Ginsburg and every woman a Solanis
New York, where you placed a used dream
New York, where you cried after two weeks
New York, where you showed me how to make jambalaya
New York, where you always found a reason to say “it could’ve gone worse”
New York, where you tried to make it and the patent’s still pending
New York, where you and I are both the all-time greatest comedian
In my dreams, I stumble into a bed-and-breakfast in the quaintest village covered in snow, and after the greatest sleep of my life I walk down the steps and see you.
