Tibetan Side of Town

[Verse 1]
Through rutted winding streets of Kathmandu
Dodging crowded humans cows dogs rickshaws
Storefronts constellated pools of blue-white
Bright against darkening walls
The butterfly sparkle in my lasered eye
Still seems to hold that last shot of red sun
Through haze over jumbled roofs
Everything moves like slow fluid
In this atmosphere thick as dreams
With sewage, incense, dust and fever
And the smoke of brick kilns and cremations

[Chorus]
Tom Kelly's bike rumbles down
We're going drinking on the Tibetan side of town
Tom Kelly's bike rumbles down
We're going drinking on the Tibetan side of town

[Verse 2]
Beggar with withered legs sits sideways on skateboard, grinning
There's a joke going on somewhere but we'll never know
Those laughing kids with hungry eyes must be in on it too
With their clinging memories of a culture
Crushed by Chinese greed
Pretty young mother by the temple gate
Covers her baby's face against diesel fumes
That look of concern—you can see it still
Not yet masked by the hard lines of a woman's struggle to survive

[Chorus]
Hard bargains going down
When you're living on the Tibetan side of town
Hard bargains going down
When you're living on the Tibetan side of town

[Verse 3]
Big red Enfield Bullet lurches to a halt in the dust
Last blast of engine leaves a ringing in the ears
Fades into the rustle of bare feet and slapping sandals
And the baritone moan of long bronze trumpets
Muffled by monastery walls
Prayer flags crack like whips in the breeze
Sending to the world—tonight the message blows east
Dark door opens to warm yellow room
And there are these steaming jugs of hot millet beer
And I'm sucked into the scene like this liquor up this bamboo straw

[Chorus]
Sweet tungba sliding down
When you're drinking on the Tibetan side of town
Sweet tungba sliding down
We're drinking on the Tibetan side of town