Folk, Folk-Rock, Dylan, Singer-Songwriter, 60's, Revolution, Beatnik, Protest, Acoustic, F*ck, The Real F*cking Deal Man.
Song Info
Track Files
MP3
MP3 4.3 MB • 100 kbps • 5:57
Story behind the song
This is an excerpt from Amadeo de' Medici's forthcoming book 'Melodie: A Memoir'. Read by Amadeo himself.
Lyrics
Coney Island
The pier stretched out from the boardwalk like a modern incarnation of the path Moses carved out through the sea. Complete with all of liberty’s relentless cruelties. A treacherous path carved through a dark, dark woodland…where the waves were the bellowing trees, and the sun a barking crow. Whatever it was, the horizon, it whispered - nearly hissing - freedom! Freedom! Freedom ho!
At the end of this path there was a little town called Eden…of that I was sure…it had to be out there somewhere.
The ocean had always ignited a certain sense of tranquility inside of me. It spoke of a life now so very far from any road one might take. It spoke, in a calm yet pristinely assuring intonation, of absolution.
“I used to wanna be a pirate, when I was little…” I said. “You know, if I had the money to do anything I‘d ever wanted, I‘d buy me a boat, and head out there…just run…and run…and run…until I‘d forget what I was running from, so I‘d have even more of a reason to keep at it…”
“Could I come with you?” asked Melodie.
“Of course…”
These were the crossroads where them old blues players went and sold their souls. If I should’ve recognized the Devil though - I didn’t - but I sure looked hard for him.
“Where would we go?”
“Oh I don‘t know, wherever you’d like… maybe Paris, or Rome…or we could find us an island in the middle of the ocean and sing songs all night at the beach, build us a campfire and all…”
“…and then go to Paris?”
“Of course, if you‘d like…we could go wherever we’d want…”
“…and walk down the Champs Elysees…”
“Sure. There‘s a great little café down there where we could order drinks, in French of course…”
For now the passage underneath the pier would have to suffice though, the old pillars of weathered wood clearing the way for us. But maybe we would get there some day, maybe, just maybe.
We walked along the shore for a while, hand in hand. It was pretty quiet round here for this time a’ year. Seagulls picking at a dead fish. In the distance the Ferris Wheel moaned. Timeless.
I looked down just in time to see the edge of the ocean tide scurry up, engulf my toes, and retreat in slow-motion.
These waves had seen the great war. They’d seen soldier’s saying goodbye to their sweethearts before shipping out. Lone strangers spending the night by their side. The gentle sea breeze and clear skies their only comfort. Lovers in love. They’d come down from the Hudson after the towers fell. They’d seen an empires fall. They’d come to bear witness.
These waves would go a long way, perhaps reach some other shore one day. Maybe they’d follow me down to the shores of Ireland, pounding on the cliffs of Bantry a few years from then, like an ancient Celtic god pounding a bodhran.
Over time they’d see me off to many a shores, many a inland roads, at times accompanied, and often alone, with only memory to serve as friend and mentor.
The Coney Island boardwalk seemed eons and many a miles away. With my mind still away at sea, I felt her soft skin reach up slowly and touch my hand. Every sensation I shared with her reminded me that we were alive. Beautifully sensual in ever respect. I felt more alive then I’d ever felt before. Her smile reminded me that I was dying.
She leaned her head against my shoulder and we stopped a while, looking out towards the horizon. Overhead the sun was setting in all sorta shades of red, white and blue. Colorblind.
“Are you sure you wanna do this?” she whispered, smiling up at me.
“Sure as I‘ll ever be…” I said, still wishing I was miles away out at sea somewhere.
Woody was out there though, and I just had to see for myself.
“So where’d you learn all of this anyway?”
“Catholic School” Melodie said. “Take your shirt off and come into the water with me…”
She took my hands, smiling at me, luminous with love and serenity. I turned around and gave way as she held me and took away any doubt I had left.
