The Great Meadow

Lyrics

I used to go to Aquatic Park And fish at the pier and catch kingfish and perch I'd look off at the house boats in Sausalito And think of my young life in Ohio Fishing for catfish with my dad I'd sometimes swim in the Ohio river Scared of catfish rumored to be the size of men When I was young, I didn't dream this far The only bodies of water I knew were the Ohio river and my cousin's bass pond in Navarre From the Aquatic Park pier I took some of my best photos there Pelicans and seagulls (Pelicans and seagulls) Sailboats and barges (Sailboats and barges) And many people (and many pеople) My girlfriend and friends And family mеmbers And happy fisherman catching the rare seabass And pulling up crab nets Gather inside Aquatic Park Ghirardelli ice cream Fireworks Aquatic Park And the Balclutha vessel boat Tide pools out Aquatic Park Mossy, slippery rocks Moonlight at Aquatic Park at dawn A few months ago, I was walking Down Polk street to the bait shop I walked down the cement stairs Like I'd been doing for the last 38 years The pier was empty and all locked up With no explanation, the sign read "Keep out" I stood there feeling glum and choked up Thinking about my many lives and good times on the pier Thinking about the parolees who spent all day there Eavesdropping on their conversations about who their dentist was in San Quentin Thinking about my many walks with my mother there And how me and my dad never got a chance to fish there And going to the pier used to make my day It was like a friend I could depend on Now going to the pier isn't the same Now it feels like I'm visiting one of my best friend's graves Now I just walk past it, over to the great meadows (over to the great meadow) The home of the Phillip Burton statue (The Phillip Burton statue) And watch the young (watch the young) San Franciscans (San Franciscans) barbecuing and having fun (having fun) And thinking yeah I too, was once that young Back then I didn't spend much time over there I spent my time at the Aquatic Park pier What will happen to the pier, will it crumble away? Wasn't the opening scene of Dirty Harry the helicopter flying over the bay? What will happen to the pier, will it dissolve and disintegrate? It will always be my muse either way