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The Heart of Saturday Night -- Tom Waits

 
(Poem #252)The Heart of Saturday Night
                   (Prologue)

 This is a song about, uh, Saturday night.

 Call yourself up on the phone, it's very simple: 
 Saturday rolls around you need a date, 
 Call yourself up- you're always going to be around. 
 And you ask yourself out, you ain't no fool, 
 you're always going to say yes. (laughter)

 I always take myself to class joints, 
 I ain't cheap or anything.

 I go down to get a little dinner at Victoria cafe..
 strange looking little patty melt there. 
 Walk out of there with enough gas 
 to open up a Shell station most nights. 

 I had this damn, um, I had a, what was it, (indistinct)
 veal cutlet sandwich, gravy's extra. Um, cup of coffee. 

 Veal cutlet sandwich got up, walked off the damn plate, 
 all the way down to the end of the bar, and come back 
 and tried to beat the shit out of my cup of coffee.. 
 the coffee wasn't strong enough to defend itself. 

 So, it was a, um, it was a fascinating evening.

 Well, I drove myself home and, um, take a scenic route, 
 and, uh, park in front of the house. 
 And uh, you know, you always kind of dawdle 
 for a while, get some smooth music on FM. 

 Sliding close to yourself, whisper something in your ear, 
 like.. "I like your style" 
 And then, uh, and then, (indistinct) 
 "Are these earrings, from Woolworths? 
 *Fascinating* perfume you have on tonight!" 

 Take yourself up to the door and you then bring up on 
 a fine high voltage, but you just end up taking advantage 
 of yourself, there's no way around it. 

 I'm not weird or anything, I don't tie myself up first. 
 I just, ease into it, you know, real casual-like.

                         ***

 Well, you gassed her up, and you get on behind the wheel
 Now you got your arm around your sweet one in your Oldsmobile
 You're barreling down the boulevard,
 And looking for the heart of Saturday night
  
 You got paid on Friday, your pockets are jingling
 Now that you see the lights you get all tingling
 Cause you're cruising with a six
 You're looking for the heart of Saturday night
  
 Then you're combing your hair, you're shaving your face
 You're trying to wipe out every trace
 Of all the other days in the week
 You know that this'll be the Saturday you're reaching your peak
  
 You're stopping on the red, you're going on the green
 Now tonight will be like nothing man, you've ever seen
 And you're barreling down the boulevard
 Looking for the heart of Saturday night
  
 Tell me, is it the crack of the pool balls, that neon buzzing
 Is it the telephone ringing, it's your second cousin
 The barmaid as she's smiling from the corner of her eye
 The magic of the melancholy tear in your eye
  
 That makes it kind of special, it's down in the core
 You'll be dreaming of them Saturdays that came before
 They found you stumbling
 Stumbling onto the heart of Saturday night
  
 You gassed her up, you're behind the wheel
 With your arm around your sweet one in your Oldsmobile
 Barreling down the boulevard
 And looking for the heart of Saturday night
  
 Tell me, is it the crack of the pool balls, that neon buzzing
 Is it the telephone ringing, it's your second cousin
 The barmaid as she's smiling from the corner of her eye
 The magic of the melancholy tear in your eye
  
 That makes it kind of special, it's down in the core
 You'll be dreaming of them Saturdays that came before
 They found you stumbling
 Stumbling onto the heart of Saturday night
 
 You're stumbling
 Stumbling onto the heart of Saturday night

-- Tom Waits