Brother John (Charcoal on Paper)

There was a friend I had, we called him Brother John, it was many heavy years ago now

He had a poet’s heart and a painter’s touch and was more honest than the world would allow

The rest of us grew up and made our compromise but he was never one to play that game

He was caught between a cold machine and an everlasting flame

He was caught between a cold machine and an everlasting flame

We used to smoke on the side of the railroad tracks and tell jokes that we shouldn’t have told

Until the powers that be locked us all in a room with a confession that we couldn’t withhold

“You can save your friends or you can save yourself”, they said you really oughta be ashamed

We were caught between a cold machine and an everlasting flame

I moved away too young into a violent town and chased a dream that I shouldn’t have chased

John moved to St. Augustine and worked the door at a shot and beer place

I think he fell in love with a world he dreamed that in reality it never became

He was caught between a cold machine, hey hey hey hey hey

They say he had a right to choose

But his life was not just his to lose

Now that he’s gone

Meanwhile some shallow men in a far-off town dragged us all down a slippery slope

And the doctor’s brand new miracle cure was just good old fashioned dope

They say the road to hell is like a Sunday walk until the devil gets to know your name

Then you’re caught between a cold machine and an everlasting flame

Now there’s a silver stream of water in the street about a block from where his body was found

And the children laugh and sing their songs as the summer starts to wind itself down

But I see Johnny’s face when I close my eyes, more than our time together can explain

Like a slow refrain

He was caught between a cold machine, hey hey hey hey hey 

He was caught between a cold machine, hey hey hey hey hey 

He was caught between a cold machine, hey hey hey hey hey 

He was caught between a cold machine, hey hey hey hey hey