Bad Penny

It all started when I kissed you
 You smiled because you knew
 There was something set in motion
 Only currency could move
 You led me to an empty bench inside a public park
 You made me wait,
 You watched my watch,
 And watched the sky go dark.
 I looked around and got nervous
 I heard a crying crow
 And a tiny cirlce rolled our way and settled in the snow
 You pointed at that penny
 And it pointed back at you
 And our great emancipator told yours truly what to do
 He said, "We've all got money,
 We've all got time.
 So, let's sell the house, sell the car,
 Sell the deed to a copper mine.
 Maybe the rock of ages is just another stone
 And to his empty childen: leave this empty world alone."
 I grabbed your hand and hurried
 Knew we didn't have much time
 We left the trail and ran like hell to make it out alive.
 We scurried under bushes like a field mouse from a snake
 I felt a tug upon my shirt sleeve from a beggar at the gate.
 He said, "Can you spare a nickle son, I'm down to my last two."
 I said that I was done with change
 So a dollar would have to do
 But when first I touched my wallet
 Then I realized my mistake
 Our great emancipator's big green head began to shake
 He said, "I'll see your penny and raise you ninety-nine,
 Seems all your gods and prophets never reached the welfare line
 Maybe the rock of ages is just another stone
 And to his empty childen: leave this empty world alone."
 I tossed away that greenback and that beggar-man just laughed
 I hailed a speeding taxicab before it hurried past
 He asked me, "Where to mister?"
 Up to Sixth and Fifty-Third.
 I looked at you, you looked at me
 And we didn't speak a word.
 There was silence in the city
 As we passed under the moon
 And that taxi-man starting whistling some old antebellum tune.
 He turned around to face us 'neath the lights of Broadway
 And that tall man in the tophat said,
 "There's something I've got to say:
 I don't want your money, just a minute of your time
 You can sell your house, sell your kids,
 Sell your soul to the picket line.
 Maybe the rock of ages is just another stone
 But to his empty childen: leave this world alone."