Papa Danced on Olvera Street

Lyrics

[Verse 1] Across the way from Union Station Is our family's favorite stand You can take a seat and eat and drink Hear the Mariachi bands L.A.'s oldest road is a marketplace Run by charming and kind Latinos And you'll ignore faint scents of sewage Once you've tasted them taquitos [Verse 2] There was that day the world seemed bright The hot green sauce a little hotter You know you've got a good batch When your eyes begin to water And I believed God laughed along with our Surprise at happy feet When Papa stood straight up and did a little dance There on old Olvera Street [Chorus 1] Couldn't help himself, 'cause the day was warm And the company was sweet And strangers laughed, too, at the sight That made our day complete With his family gathered on Father's Day His love ran wide and deep And Papa said so with his little dance Down on old Olvera Street [Verse 3] Above us loomed Avila Adobe Oldest house in Los Angeles Did I really see a second sight That nearly brought me to my knees? Encarnacion Abela Francisco the rancher's grieving widow Watching Papa dance, I swear her sad ghost smiled There up in that upper-story window [Chorus 2] She couldn't help herself, 'cause the day was warm And the company was sweet And the crowd laughed, too, at the joyous soul Who made our day complete With his family gathered on Father's Day His love ran wide and deep And Papa said so with his little dance Down on old Olvera Street [Bridge] In a world that wounds us time to time That glimpse of grace is so sublime And though the Angels now live in Anaheim They flew in for just a peak At that miracle of the fandango Down on old Olvera Street [Outro] And heaven knows I love that man He's more than half of who I am It's a thing I'm beginning to understand Wish my heart had moved my feet And I had joined my daddy when he danced that day Down on old Olvera Street