"Hey, Merle, got any 'ludes?"
--The Replacements
Merle's the man on the street
candy man
pusher man
handy man
Pete
Pete is his side kick
he gets all the best dope
Pete's Merle's buddy
he helps him to cope
to smoke all
the finest rope
and sniff through the highest bill
to shoot the clearest liquid
and pop the biggest pill
Bill
Bill's the big supplier
head link in the chain
he's the brain, the engineer
the driver of the train
that chugs down rock stars' veins
and lodges in a cheap hotel
on University street
a grimy windowsill
That's Bill's
pain upon the world outside
where everything is multiplied
across the street that Bill can hear
a dirty man, with imported beer
sat
that's Pat
Pat's the contact with far away
he knows how the drugs came here to stay
with Bill
and Merle
through Pat
and his South American friend
who makes
Drugs of all kinds
chains stronger than steel
and his South American mind
which needs to feel
on top of the trends
and know what's passé
Today
José
Last of the many
one of the scarce
alone at the top
no one who cares
no one to trust
will he go bust
will his mind break
for making these drugs
of which he partakes
Does José know Merle
whose buddy's Pete
Does he know Bill's palace on University street
Does José know Pat
drinks imported beer
and tends to leer
at patrol girls
as their flags unfurl
on University street?
no
he just tends to his making
and sees to his baking
and makes very sure
that the dope
gets to Pat
who gives it to Bill
who sees that Merle
Has enough 'ludes to kill
thirty-three elephants
and two giraffes
But this is Merle's daily need
so he can come down
from his high on speed
and his life as a clown
and you ask what's the lead
from all this mess
what makes Johnny
go out with Bess
instead of into the city
to look for dope
or a needle, or joint
or something to smoke
Why he stays home on the farm
in order to fend
for Bess
and the kid
with his leg on the mend
I'll tell you the truth
The truth I'll send
I really don't know
and that my friend
is always the end
that my friend
is always the end.
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