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The Last Fare of the Day Lyrics
I saw them standing in the rain
Out on 7th Avenue
He held her tight, like she might fall
If he let go
He helped her in, he shut the door
Our eyes met in the mirror
To Englewood, just take it slow
Was all he said
Into the stream, we pulled away
I know it well, this old ballet
Finding the flow, minding the sway
Catching green lights all the way
Up Amsterdam, the meter dark,
I turned off the radio
She said, Thanks,
I could not bear another word.
Out the bridge, the traffic slowed
In the brakelights and the wash
Of all those truckers heading south
On 95
Into the stream, we pulled away
I know it well, this old ballet
Finding the flow, minding the sway
Catching green lights all the way
I brought them home, I brought them home
I brought them home in that cruel, cruel rain
And now its spring, and wheres the rain?
All the wells are running dry
And the reservoir has reached
An all-time low
And if this red light ever turns
If I can make it through the park
Ill head uptown
For the last fare of the day
And turn it does, I pull away
I know it well, this old ballet
Finding the flow, minding the sway
Catching green lights all the way
And there they are, outside St. Lukes
With their flowers and balloons
All amazement at the baby
In her arms
As Amsterdam makes us a place
I ask about her name
We all laugh when he says Hope
And she says Grace
And then it starts, the heavens give
I know it well, this old ballet
Finding the flow, minding the sway
Catching green lights all the way
I brought them home, I brought them home
I brought them home in that sweet, sweet rain
I brought them home in the sweet, sweet rain
Out on 7th Avenue
He held her tight, like she might fall
If he let go
Our eyes met in the mirror
To Englewood, just take it slow
Was all he said
I know it well, this old ballet
Finding the flow, minding the sway
Catching green lights all the way
I turned off the radio
She said, Thanks,
I could not bear another word.
In the brakelights and the wash
Of all those truckers heading south
On 95
I know it well, this old ballet
Finding the flow, minding the sway
Catching green lights all the way
I brought them home, I brought them home
I brought them home in that cruel, cruel rain
All the wells are running dry
And the reservoir has reached
An all-time low
If I can make it through the park
Ill head uptown
For the last fare of the day
I know it well, this old ballet
Finding the flow, minding the sway
Catching green lights all the way
With their flowers and balloons
All amazement at the baby
In her arms
I ask about her name
We all laugh when he says Hope
And she says Grace
I know it well, this old ballet
Finding the flow, minding the sway
Catching green lights all the way
I brought them home, I brought them home
I brought them home in that sweet, sweet rain
I brought them home in the sweet, sweet rain
Song Info
Submitted by
songmeanings On Feb 06, 2012
More Richard Shindell
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Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
In the first verse it's cold and rainy and my guess is the woman has lost her child, the husband has to hold her up to keep from collapsing from grief and asks the cabbie to drive slowly, she's in such pain she thanks him (in a whisper) when he turns off the radio, she can't even deal with music and the rain is cruel!
He sees them again in the spring and she has given birth and when he asks what the child's name is the husband says Grace and the wife says Hope and the rain is now sweet and the reservoirs previously mentioned to be at an all time low will be refilled.
This writer is a Christian and has worked as a cab driver and although and his faith informs his music, I would argue it's done tastefully.
For some reason this song invokes a number of visual images for me and I would argue is very well written?
If they are not the same couple, perhaps he's making a comment about the circle of life?
I really like the "I know it well this old ballet" line and how it is juxtaposed with what is seemingly mundane scenes of daily life.
@barry11282 Richard has said this is a song about 9/11 and it certainly is the most subtle 9/11 song ever written.
@barry11282 Richard has said this is a song about 9/11 and it certainly is the most subtle 9/11 song ever written.
The first verse does not deal with the loss of a child. The two people taking the ride jp,eare in the earliest stage of pregnancy and the only reference to 9/11 is the request to turn off the radio, the news undermining any joy in the pregnancy.
The first verse does not deal with the loss of a child. The two people taking the ride jp,eare in the earliest stage of pregnancy and the only reference to 9/11 is the request to turn off the radio, the news undermining any joy in the pregnancy.
There was a drought the following Spring, but song ends with three elements that rekindle life: the baby; the arrival of the rains and the return home.
There was a drought the following Spring, but song ends with three elements that rekindle life: the baby; the arrival of the rains and the return home.
In the mold of singer-songwriter-dom as defined...
In the mold of singer-songwriter-dom as defined by Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell and others most songs are news bulletins on the thoughts within the songwriter's head. Richard Shindell is unique in that the majority of his song are story songs in which he is not the protagonist. (Has any other man written such goods songs taking the voice of women characters?)
I admit that when I first heard the song I thought it was a beautiful melody and that the crux of the song was the happy confusion about the child's name. But I trust Richard Shindell as a narrator and I accept his explanation that he was writing about 9/11.