John Hammond
Talking World War III Blues
Some time ago a crazy dream came to me
I dreamt, I was walkin' into World War III
I went to the doctor the very next day
To see what kinda words he could say
He said, "It was a bad dream"
I wouldn't worry 'bout it none, though
They were my own dreams
And they're only in my head
I said, "Hold it, doc, a World War passed through my brain"
He said, "Nurse, get your pad, this boy's insane"
He grabbed my arm, I said "Ouch"
As I landed on the psychiatric couch
He said, "Tell me about it"
Well, the whole thing started at 3 o'clock fast
It was all over by quarter past
I was down in the sewer with some little lover
When I peeked out from a manhole cover
Wonderin' who turned the lights on us
Well, I got up and walked around
And up and down the lonesome town
I stood a-wonderin' which way to go
I lit a cigarette on a parkin' meter
And walked on down the road, it was a normal day
Well, I rung me fallout shelter bell
And I leaned my head and I gave a yell
"Give me a string bean, I'm a hungry man"
Shotgun fired and away I ran
I don't blame 'em too much though
They didn't know me
Down at the corner by a hot-dog stand
I seen a man, I said, "Howdy friend
I guess there's just us two"
He screamed a bit and away he flew
Thought I was a communist
Well, I spied me a girl and before she could leave
Say, "Let's go and play Adam and Eve"
I took her by the hand and my heart it was thumpin'
When she said, "Hey man, you crazy or sumpin'
You see what happened last time they started"
Well, I seen a Cadillac window uptown
And there was nobody aroun'
I got into the driver's seat
And I drove down 42nd street, in my Cadillac
Good car to drive after a war
Well, I remember seein' some ad
So I turned on my Conelrad
But I didn't pay my Con Ed bill
So the radio didn't work so well
Turned on my player
It was rock-a-day, Johnny singin'
"Tell your ma, tell your pa
Our loves are gonna grow ooh-wah, ooh-wah"
I was feelin' kinda lonesome and blue
I needed somebody to talk to
So I called up the operator of time
Just to hear a voice of some kind
"When you hear the beep, it will be three o'clock"
She said that for over an hour and I hung it up
Well, the doctor interrupted me just about then
Sayin', "Hey, I've been havin' the same old dreams
But mine was a little different you see
I dreamt that the only person left after the war was me
I didn't see you around"
Well, now time passed and now it seems
Everybody's havin' them dreams
Everybody sees themselves
Walkin' around with no one else
Half of the people can be part right all of the time
Some of the people can be all right part of the time
But all of the people can't be all right all of the time
I think Abraham Lincoln said that
"I'll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours"
I said that