Reunion Street

This is my shadow (i.e., out of competition) entry for the Masters of Song Fu #3 Final Challenge. Some trivia about it:

  • A whole verse was cut out of the finished recording. Surprisingly, it still works.
  • What you hear: vocals, electric guitar, keyboard, ukulele.
  • The alarm part is set to the verse chords of What’s the Baby Using.
  • Harold likes to wear a cowboy hat.
  • Dickensack, AL is a fictitious town and the original home of dieholzmannjungs.
  • The Patrick in the song was heavily inspired by a Patrick I know.
  • I’m unhappy with the “doesn’t wait for the smoke to clear” line. It implies that the firefighter is reckless and that the story is like these unreal Hollywood action sequences.
  • Yes, the title was inspired by Richard Shindell. No, I’m not worthy.
  • The lines with the fire/higher rhyme got mixed up. I have no idea why.
  • For the most parts “Reunion Street” was recorded last Saturday.
  • The initial idea for the story was born while I was jogging by the local fire station and the adjacent traffic lights turned all red due to an actual alarm.
  • Singing about dancing is easy and fun, whereas dancing is usually not so easy and not always fun.

Download the song: mp3 (more music)

It’s a quiet night in Dickensack, Alabama
But there’s a light on in Reunion Street
In a wooden house a father tells his little daughter
Don’t cry for Mommy, hush, go to sleep

Mommy’s out of town, she’s staying with her sister
She won’t be back for at least one more day
Now I’m not in the mood to listen to your stories
I want to smoke and drink my troubles away

So please don’t start to weep
Just go back to sleep

My little darling, will you please be quiet
I’m sure the sandman is going to bring you sweet dreams
I have to go back to my beer can and my baseball
And I don’t want to be disturbed by your screams

So please don’t start to weep
Just go back to sleep
No, don’t start to weep
Or else I’m going to have to…

Meanwhile in the local pub there’s a party going on
Harold and his good old boys have been jamming all night long
Not it’s getting late, but it sure was great, there’s still time for one more song

Patrick and his girl-friend Nat are dancing on the stairs
It’s their anniversary, love is in the air
And as the party ends he takes her hands and gently strokes her hair

And then at home they dance some more
And they get rid of what they’ve worn
And just before they fall asleep he says, I love you
And just before she falls asleep she says, I love you, too

3 am, the alarm goes off
Four seconds later Patrick is up
Five steps to the closet door
Hey honey, please sleep on

Six calls in as he gets to the station
Seven miles to drive from there
815 Reunion Street
A two-story building is on fire

The neighbours called when they saw the fire
The owner of the house had gotten drunk and passed out
His burning cigarette fell down on the carpet
And soon the flames got higher and higher

But he did not wake up

Suddenly there’s a faint and distant whisper
Patrick doesn’t wait for the smoke to clear
Up the ladder, his axe breaks the window
There in the bedroom a girl cries in fear

He lifts her up and turns around
And soon they’re safe back on the ground
Meanwhile his friends struggle on
And two hours later they have won
The flames are gone

It’s a quiet morning in Dickensack, Alabama

(words and music by Johannes Schult)

One Comment

  1. Russ Rogers:

    Jutze! I’m really impressed. A great song. I like how you took a dark song but didn’t make it morbid. The girl was rescued and that brings hope at the end and the middle section is a nice contrast. Very cool.