lyrics & melody
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A Bleecker Man
Copyright © 2019 Kelli Caldwell
Coming soon!
Planted on the busy side of Broadway and Bleecker
He stands behind a makeshift sign
Asking for a makeshift life
Do you have a change to spare?
Given a “sabbatical” 20 years or so ago
He swore to get back on his feet
One more hit is all I need...
Do you have the range to care?
Chorus:
A Bleecker man can understand
Being on that last shaky leg—
A Bleecker man knows reprimand
Cause this'll never be you
Never be—you, never be—you
A Bleecker man
Never seen but always there at Broadway and Bleecker
He could tell a tale about
All the fools with all the clout
If you have the mind to hear?
He'll tell about his family from long-ago society
They chalked him off and he did too
When shame and blame were all he knew
Do you have a soul to bare?
Chorus:
A Bleecker man can understand
Being on that last shaky leg—
A Bleecker man could use a hand
But this would never be you
Never be—you, never be—you
A Bleecker man
Bridge:
Can you spare a tiny prayer?
A little prayer
Momentary care
You don't have to wear it on the outside
Just look into his eyes
Chorus:
A Bleecker man can understand
Being on that last shaky leg—
A Bleecker man quietly saying
May this never be you
Never be—you, never be—you
A Bleecker man
End:
Who's the bleaker man
Begging on the busy side
Or passing by?
Lyric notes: Living on Bleecker St. in Greenwich Village in 1999, working at Harper's Magazine on Broadway, walking by that local every day on the way to work, thinking about all the homeless people in the city and how easy it is to forget they're there, but haven't always been, and how hard it is to fathom becoming one of them. But any of us could probably end up there, depending on the cards we're dealt.
titles | by genre
- The Future Will Repay - Finalist 2018 Local Roots Song Contest
- Don't You Worry About the Fall - New Single Release!
- Figuring It Out
- Dirty Summer
- I Can Make It Alright
- A Bleecker Man
- I Need a Little More
- Killing Time
- My Dream Come True
- Serenity
- In the Last Moments
- Oh My Darling
- Pretend Summer
- That's So F*ing Portland
- Romeo - with Brent Rogers - Honorable Mention 2014 Artists in Music Awards
- She's So Bright
- I Just Met You
- Heart Wanderer
- Baby, Baby, Baby
- Here Could Be Anywhere
- Was it Love in Your Eyes?
- Will the New Year Bring You?
- Oh My Darling
- Want to Rise in Your Eyes
- Lost and Found
- Here I Go
- Honor Their Memory
-
Momma, Only Momma and I
- My Credit Sucks
- Cooking Up Some Happiness
- Turtlurtlurtle - Winner 2019 West Coast Songwriters International Song Contest
- The Ooh La La Song
- Springtime Dance
- Tacos, Bananas, and Toy Boats
- Hello I Am a Monkey
- Got So Much Love for You
- Little Ray of Sunsine
- Then You Will Run Free: A Song for Every Good Dog
- Froggie on My Windowsill
- Jumpin' Beans
- Potty Training Song
- We're Almost There
- The Waiting Song
- The Hat Song
- Kickin' It with My Chicken
- Five Little Ducks
- Can't Find My Appendix
- Tonight I'll Be Brushing One Less Tooth - with Alice Block
- The Growing Song
- The Smiler Song
- Robots Don't Tell Jokes
- Rainbow_Love_Song
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star - English & Japanese
- I - LOVE - YOU
- Peanut, Pinenut
- Let's Go Pistachio
- I'll Be a Butterfly
- I Believe in You
- I'm Proud of You
- I'm a Mama Monkey
- Is There a Bird on My Head?
- Five Little Frogs
- When You Dance
- Superstar
- Baby Grace
- Jesus Lives Within
- Leave It to the Son
- Only the Redeemer
- Jewel
- Praise to the Lord Above
- He's the Way and the Light
- Father, My Father
- God is the Gracious One
- God Takes Care of Me
- I Wander Still
- One Way to Heaven
- Catch My Heart
- He's the Way and the Light
- Spirit, Fill Me Up Today
- Everything Good Comes From God
- Beside He Stands
- La Lullaby
- Baby Grace
- The Sleepy Song
- Just Snuggle In
- Oh Baby, Oh Baby, Oh Baby, Oh
- I'm in Love with You
- I Will Miss You
- The Ooh La La Song
- The Future Will Repay - Finalist 2018 Local Roots Song Contest
- Don't You Worry About the Fall - New Single Release!
- Figuring It Out
- Dirty Summer
- I Can Make It Alright
- A Bleecker Man
- I Need a Little More
- Killing Time
- My Dream Come True
- Serenity
- In the Last Moments
- Oh My Darling
- Pretend Summer
- That's So F*ing Portland
- Romeo - with Brent Rogers - Honorable Mention 2014 Artists in Music Awards
- She's So Bright
- I Just Met You
- Heart Wanderer
- Baby, Baby, Baby
- Here Could Be Anywhere
- Was it Love in Your Eyes?
- Will the New Year Bring You?
- Oh My Darling
- Want to Rise in Your Eyes
- Lost and Found
- Here I Go
- Honor Their Memory
- Momma, Only Momma and I
- My Credit Sucks
- Cooking Up Some Happiness
- Fly Away
- Turtlurtlurtle - Winner 2019 West Coast Songwriters International Song Contest
- The Ooh La La Song
- Springtime Dance
- Tacos, Bananas, and Toy Boats
- Then You Will Run Free: A Song for Every Good Dog
- Froggie on My Windowsill
- Jumpin' Beans
- Potty Training Song
- We're Almost There
- The Waiting Song
- The Hat Song
- Kickin' It with My Chicken
- Five Little Ducks
- Can't Find My Appendix
- Tonight I'll Be Brushing One Less Tooth - with Alice Block
- The Growing Song
- The Smiler Song
- Robots Don't Tell Jokes
- Rainbow_Love_Song
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star - English & Japanese
- I - LOVE - YOU
- Peanut, Pinenut
- Let's Go Pistachio
- I'll Be a Butterfly
- I Believe in You
- I'm Proud of You
- I'm a Mama Monkey
- Is There a Bird on My Head?
- Five Little Frogs
- When You Dance
- Superstar
- La Lullaby
- Baby Grace
- The Sleepy Song
- Just Snuggle In
- Oh Baby, Oh Baby, Oh Baby, Oh
- I'm in Love with You
- I Will Miss You
- The Ooh La La Song
- Baby Grace
- Jesus Lives Within
- Leave It to the Son
- Only the Redeemer
- Jewel
- Praise to the Lord Above
- He's the Way and the Light
- Father, My Father
- God is the Gracious One
- God Takes Care of Me
- I Wander Still
- One Way to Heaven
- Catch My Heart
- He's the Way and the Light
- Spirit, Fill Me Up Today
- Will the New Year Bring You?
- Twas in the Moon of Wintertime - The Huron Carol (cover)
- Twas in the Moon of Wintertime - The Huron Carol (cover)
- Frere Jacques in French, English, German, Finnish, Spanish (cover)
favs
Some local songwriters & artists worth checking out...
• Jessa Campbell & the Saplings - kids
• Gil Reynolds Trio
• Julio Appling
• Spank Hopkins
• Matt Clark (kids)
• Dan'l
• Naomi Hooley
not local...
• Asa
• Bebe
• Alison Krauss & Union Station
• Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• CCR
• PFR
• Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers
• Coldplay