Brother John (Charcoal on Paper)

Lyrics

There was a friend I had, we called him Brother John, it was many heavy years ago now He had a poet's heart and a painter's touch and was more honest than the world would allow The rest of us grew up and made our compromise but he was never one to play that game He was caught between a cold machine and an everlasting flame He was caught between a cold machine and an everlasting flame We used to smoke on the side of thе railroad tracks and tell jokes that we shouldn't havе told Until the powers that be locked us all in a room with a confession that we couldn't withhold "You can save your friends or you can save yourself", they said you really oughta be ashamed We were caught between a cold machine and an everlasting flame I moved away too young into a violent town and chased a dream that I shouldn't have chased John moved to St. Augustine and worked the door at a shot and beer place I think he fell in love with a world he dreamed that in reality it never became He was caught between a cold machine, hey They say he had a right to choose But his life was not just his to lose Now that he's gone Meanwhile some shallow men in a far-off town dragged us all down a slippery slope And the doctor's brand new miracle cure was just good old fashioned dope They say the road to hell is like a Sunday walk until the devil gets to know your name Then you're caught between a cold machine and an everlasting flame Now there's a silver stream of water in the street about a block from where his body was found And the children laugh and sing their songs as the summer starts to wind itself down But I see Johnny's face when I close my eyes, more than our time together can explain Like a slow refrain He was caught between a cold machine, hey He was caught between a cold machine, hey He was caught between a cold machine, hey Caught between a cold machine, hey