Tally Ho by Herb Harker

Tally Ho

 

With speed and haste the way is clear, with leather on my back

Earned the Harley at Henry Street; A year plus six ago .

By the Bay where Fishers play, with Lobster in the hold.

Ernie, and old Nick the Lip, they showed me all the ropes,

Over by the Gambling house, near Pearl and Waterloo.

The place where all the winners went, and some are still there too

Floating in the sands of time, just like the Old Saloon

Hail the road it takes me back, with Minnie’s all about,

The place where all the winners went, and some are still there too.

 

Pulling in, I see the Grey, a shadow in the night

turned about to see again a shadow of itself.

Party lutes they all be gone, there’s flowers on the walls

Children play and adults sway, a shadow of the day.

For there at Grey a stranger played, in days of youth and lore

There at Grey and other plays the streets of Tally Ho,

For what be sense in being young, if yonder never shouts.

The place where all the winners went and some are still there too.

 

Linda Lou and Corrine too, Mabel down the road.

Many stops along the roads, Athena restaurant.

Odeon and Capital with shops of nickel bob,

Bobbies grill, and Ed the shrill, with Sunset as his ride.

Dealing cards, then beer cans too, were always by his sight,

They said he got the name one day, while howling at the moon.

The place where all the winners went and some are still there too.

 

Angel Leather shining white, new patches all about

Nick the Lip, said he too, hey, what you lookin’ at

This isn’t bad, it never smells, my hog is like this too

You should see old Ernie, and what they did for him.

Diamond speckles, real ones, there hanging from his ear

Then he drives around all day, his hog’s shaped as a beer,

Jupiter and Pluto swings, he never slows it down 

All the things they said were cool shoots arrows from his eyes

The place where all the winners went and some are still there too.

 

Then I felt a tugging back, the wind was turning cold

All around the old saloon, frost bite on my brow

Bones they chill and muscle creak and eye begins to fog

Slowly wake and turn about the bars be on the wall

Jug up called again today so early in the night

Pull myself up from the chair the inmates need a bite

For there they be within the mind and there within a mist

The place where all the winners went and some are still there too.