Radio Paradise (mobile)

The merge from the turnpike was murder, but it's never a cinch
It was Friday at five, and no one was giving an inch
They squeezed and the edged and they glared
Half them clearly impaired by rage or exhaustion
The rest were just touchy as hell
Somewhere near Paterson everything slowed to a crawl
The all-news station was thanking someone for the call
It's a van from St. Agnes's choir
There's a nun out there changing a tire
By the time they got by her, tempers were out of control
So they all hit the gas in a dash for position
Bobing and weaving and flashing their highbeams
Fliping the bird and screaming obscenities
A well-insured hoard hell-bent on Saturday
And so they continued west-bound and into the sun
Law and decorum constraining nary a one
By then it was devil-may-care
Not one even vaguely aware
That they had come all the way to the Delaware Water Gap
But how had it happened? They had all missed their exits
How had it happened? Was it some kind of vortex?
And in they all went, bumper to bumper
Faster and faster, no sign of a trooper
In they all went, like sheep to the slaughter
Bankers and carpenters, doctors and lawyers
And in they all went, families in minivans
Ashcroft republicans, weekend militiamen
They followed the river, and rounded the bend
Between minsi and tammany and into their destiny
Lying in ambush right their before them
The angry old sun right on the horizon
Sister Maria tightened the bolts of the spare
She said a quick prayer and put the old van into gear
Thank God that the traffic was light
If she hurried she might not be late
For that evening's performance at the state penetentiary
She entered the common room and their was her choir
Altos and baritones, basses and tenors
Car thieves and crack dealers, mobsters and murderers
Husbands and sons, fathers and brothers
And so it began in glorious harmony
Softly and Tenderly calling for you and me
With the interstate whining way off in the distance
And the sun going down through the bars of the prison
They poured out their souls, they poured out their memories
They poured out their hopes for what's left of eternity
To sister Maria her soul like a prism
For the light of forgiveness on all of their faces

d-don May 03, 2013 - 15:07	What storytelling! Love it! [ Reply ]
MinMan Jan 29, 2013 - 16:59	jadewahoo wrote: Walrus_Gumbo wrote: [ Reply ]
Wisecrowe Dec 29, 2012 - 08:43	Worst five minutes of 2012. My ears are bleeding. [ Reply ]
RKeaton Aug 25, 2012 - 19:52	Brilliant song by a sleeper artist. And for the record, NOTHING at all like REM. Do you people have shit in your ears or what? Thank you and goodnight. [ Reply ]
AndrewKoransky Aug 25, 2012 - 15:40	This is a great song... yes, it's repetitive, but Richard Shindell is a storyteller first and foremost. The magic is in the lyrics if you are willing to study them for a moment. But something is definitely lost in this studio version. I wish Bill would swap this out with one of his live performances of this tune, where the passion in his voice (and the band) really comes through. I have one I'd upload, but quality is too low. [ Reply ]
justlistening Jul 25, 2012 - 05:36	TJS wrote: Where's that confounded bridge? Sort of monotonous dirge to me. Yes, a bit. [ Reply ]
tulfan Jul 25, 2012 - 05:35	vandal wrote: To mis-quote another RP member from a different thread: ". . . plods along with grim, dull determination. . . " Quite apt I would add [ Reply ]
tuttle99 Jul 13, 2012 - 13:58	Never heard of this guy....quite clever songwriting! [ Reply ]
TJS Mar 20, 2012 - 12:55	Where's that confounded bridge? Sort of monotonous dirge to me. [ Reply ]
Jelani Dec 16, 2011 - 08:06	I love this. NJ never felt so poetic... [ Reply ]
debobasu Sep 12, 2011 - 13:24	lemmoth wrote: Just a wild guess here, but I'm thinking he may have listened to a a few REM records, no? Very Micheal Stipe-esque, not just the sound, but the style. Kind of more baritone though. But I like-y. [ Reply ]
fredriley Aug 12, 2011 - 04:30	Yup, sounds like rush-hour traffic in Nottingham, particularly on a Friday (aka POETS day: Piss Off Early, Tomorrow's Saturday). Aggro, pollution, and crawling traffic, and all to get away to the 'fresh air' and 'peace' Ho hum. [ Reply ]
TerryS Jul 11, 2011 - 19:45	Another in the Leonard Cohen mordant mould. (mold if you prefer) [ Reply ]
vandal May 09, 2011 - 13:46	To mis-quote another RP member from a different thread: ". . . plods along with grim, dull determination. . . " [ Reply ]
lemmoth May 09, 2011 - 13:24	Just a wild guess here, but I'm thinking he may have listened to a a few REM records, no? [ Reply ]
bam23 Mar 07, 2011 - 10:50	I was so looking forward to hearing him perform this song when he played Berkeley several years ago. He did, but kept forgetting lyrics, putting little effort into his guitar playing, and appearing to be operating at somewhat less than his highest. These things happen. This piece is not likely to be used as a promotional song by the state of New Jersey, I suspect. [ Reply ]
jadewahoo Jan 03, 2011 - 19:52	jadewahoo wrote: True poetry. Allegorical. Evocative. Pensive. Walrus_Gumbo wrote: [ Reply ]
dyharenas Jan 03, 2011 - 19:52	That´s a hell of a song right there [ Reply ]
cohifi Jan 03, 2011 - 19:50	this would not make a good road trip tune so I give it a 3 now [ Reply ]
onerb Nov 01, 2010 - 13:02	thanks for playing this! [ Reply ]