6. The Story of the Grasshopper and the Ant

daddy was a grasshopper
he played the fiddle like nobody’s business
on saturday night and christmas eve
in the good times
when he was on
he could show you in the palm of your own hand
your heart’s desire glowing like the moon and stars

daddy was a grasshopper
he played the fiddle all night long and slept in the afternoon
daddy was a special treat
not for every day
not for every day

what was my mother like?
my mother was a wonderful person
my mother was like stalin
oh, i don't mean that in a bad way, no
i never understood her
some people wanna say that i still don't
now and then she was a little over-critical
but we all knew she carried a heavy load
she did
my mother was a saint
she was
and my daddy was a so and so

coffee black down at the town cafe
daddy drank all night and slept all day
he never worried
he never hurried
can't see why you gotta make it so much trauma, 'cause
it's always down to mama, cause

my mother was like stalin
she was the one who always got things done
i never understood her
but she was who we all depended on
now and then she made a bad call, playin' hardball
but when the chips were down she won
my mother was like stalin
but my daddy had a lot more fun
poor mom, poor mom