Chapter 1. The Ring

[Intro: Sonny Smith]

Check.
So
Well
I guess I’d better start at the beginning

It goes
Alright, let’s let the stream settle down here.
Alright! Let’s let the stream settle down
Are we ready?
Kay

I had been given this monstrous piano
A big, upright, 1920’s Winterroth
Which is a real nice vintage thing and worth a couple grand
It's like a dream come true to have one of these things
So I got a few friends to help me move it into our little place at 25th and Bryant
Me and Sal had just moved in
right at 25th and Bryant
And we had just had a little kid
A little son
And I was thinking
Ring, I gotta find a ring
Because everything else is going along just fine
And working fine
And I need a ring

And I wasn’t helping much with the move of the piano
Cause my friend Chris was doing most of the work
Chris and my neighbor being tough guys took it over
And I see out of the corner of my eye Murray Rupiński walking towards his bar with a bunch of flowers
Which is what he does every day around six is get some flowers
And go to the drunken boat
And light the candles and turn down the lights and start the music

So I'm walking with him thinking “ring”
I'm thinking about it a couple days before when I was with Sal
And we had stopped in front of the Texas Joyeria jewelry shop
Right next to the Mexican donut shop on 24th street by Alabama
And the kid is in her arms asleep, and were just pleasantly zoning out on the ring in the window
And I see her hair and its golden in the reflection of the glass
And I look at the panadería with all the donuts glazed over looking perfectly brown, perfectly golden
And her hair is the same sweet colour
And I'm feeling love I guess
And how nice it is just to be around her
So I ask the man about the ring she's looking at
But the price is so high it just sends me right into the mopes
Right into depression
And I just want to break free from this garbage relationship where I'm this poor piece of shit artist and I can't afford anything and everything I ever get has to be free
And I wanna set her free
So she can find a good hearted and good rich man
I mean a rich me-n
That's like me
But rich