Quintette

Quintette city Florida Alt. 95 Pop.7234

Used to work the joints - played a mean cornet,
if they’s any better, ain’t heard’em yet.
We wuz bigger than the circus, better than the show
Lord how they loved us - every town, you know
- coulda bin famous, with a bit more dough.

Johnson played the guitar, Ferdy had the sticks:
Orville the bassman did some magic tricks.
Grainger on piano, between finger clicks -
maybe not so handsome with small town hicks -
slipperier with women than a dozen oilslicks.

Left a hunnert towns with the room unpaid;
made up for no money for the dates we played.
One revival meetin' we got paid in lemonade.
Avoidin’ angry husbands every time we stayed
to give some goodbye kisses to the women we laid.

Five roads meetin' in the Everglades;
one small factory makin’ window shades:
behind the old depot Bill made a few trades,
front page killin’ usin’ home-made blades.
Bill Grainger’s gone now, leavin’ just Four Spades.

Used to work the joints - and we ain't done yet
- get the gelt to uncle - I'll play a mean cornet.
Lord I wish they loved us, they used to y'know.
We wuz better as a five piece, it ain't the same show
- coulda bin famous, - if Bill'd said no.