Broken Parakeet Blues

East of the village and west of the trees
Up on the high ground where the soldiers would stand
Cooling themselves in the sulfurous breeze
Seemed like something to lose
The houses were filled with flattering hosts
In tight shirts and compliments for soldiers and ghosts
Up on the high ground blowing their loads
For the cowgirls left back home
How can you say there’s nothing to lose
Singing your broken parakeet blues
On the side of the highway lighting the fuse
Black like the crows from the cattlecar fumes
Yeah, up on the highway near 29 Palms
I saw busloads of soldiers rolling along
And people like crows on the side of the road
Waving goodbye to lovers and sons
The soldiers were boys, there were brown ones and fat ones
White ones and cool ones and camouflaged black ones
Sweet ones and cruel ones but I didn’t see
Anybody I thought had money like me
Some were sleeping, some dreaming, some quietly weeping
Out of 29 Palms the buses kept creeping
Right through the desert and out to the shore
29 Palms won’t see ’em no more
How can you say there’s nothing to lose
Singing your broken parakeet blues
On the side of the highway lighting the fuse
Black like the crows from the cattlecar fumes
How can you just wave farewell to them
Knowing what you know and where you have been
On the side of the highway lighting the fuse
Singing your broken parakeet blues
How can you say there’s nothing to lose
East of the village and west of the trees
Up on the high ground where the soldiers would stand
Cooling themselves in the sulfurous breeze
We all crowed those parakeet blues