4 Finger John

4 Finger John was sitting at the bar
with his Miller's and tomato juice
and Poland is as far as any star
for wishing he'd have paid his immigrant's dues
he was hoping to have paid those immigrant's dues

thirty years as a minister come and gone
twenty more behind this crummy bar
if I wasn't so young, I'd have listened
didn't have to move to travel far
I'd be as wise as if I'd traveled far

I can't wait 'til I'm old
and I can put this road behind me
on the water with my sunshine and gold
4 Finger John

4 Finger John was a little different
as I guess the name suggests
wasn't a drunk like all the others
wasn't a man like all the rest
wasn't a man like all the rest

Down at the Backstreet everybody knew him
Father John was a friend to all
and freedom is only a state of mind
all he's doing is waiting for final call
' you do is you wait for last call

Dead men make convenient heroes
had times are just convenient news
living like that ain't no excuse to sing the blues
for 4 Finger John