Frank´s Story

[kayo]

Lyrics of a Tom Waits song

had had me in hysterics since I first heard it -8 years ago.

***

Well Frank settled down in the Valley

and hung his wild years

on a nail that he drove through

his wife's forehead

he sold used office furniture

out there on San Fernando Road

and assumed a $30,000 loan

at 15 1/4 % and put down payment

on a little two bedroom place

his wife was a spent piece of used jet trash

made good bloody marys

kept her mouth shut most of the time

had a little Chihuahua named Carlos

that had some kind of skin disease

and was totally blind. They had a

thoroughly modern kitchen

self-cleaning oven (the whole bit)

Frank drove a little sedan

they were so happy

One night Frank was on his way home

from work, stopped at the liquor store,

picked up a couple Mickey's Big Mouths

drank 'em in the car on his way

to the Shell station, he got a gallon of

gas in a can, drove home, doused

everything in the house, torched it,

parked across the street, laughing,

watching it burn, all Halloween

orange and chimney red then

Frank put on a top forty station

got on the Hollywood Freeway

headed north

Never could stand that dog

**