paul shire colarusso

Dear Judy,

Not every word, nor every phrase, of every song you ever create has to be completely original. Witness "Homeless" here. There are at least a dozen "run of the mill" phrases in the verses. And a chorus that repeats the one word we've heard everyday on the news for the last 50 years. How is this mundane assemblage going to hold anyone's interest? True, there's not much new under the sun, but you can put the old stuff together in ways that make it interesting. Do you remember we decided if you were going to ask someone to take the time to listen to one of your songs, you owe it to that person to offer something of interest? The biggest blunder is to be boring! So we have these ordinary phrases, sung bleak, brash and in your face. And a chorus that is a cry a guilty listener would rather not here. Does the plot thicken? Then, against all this angst of the graffiti of the verses comes a hymnal of a bridge in soothing tones; perhaps best sung by a Salvation Army choir. Now, is the listener assuaged? Is he grateful the song is not about him? Or maybe he feels the "Lady in the Harbor" betrayed the homeless by not fulfilling her promise? So, is the song worth the time it takes to hear it?

I remember picking a chord i had never used; G minor, and going from there. The inspiration for the lyric were the phrases "trickle down economy" and "no form of address". Throw in a couple of lines from the Emma Lazarus' poem for the "New Colossus" in the bridge and this one was easy.

With paul magnano drums, dave phillips bass, and alex watts lead guitar. Recorded in the spring of 1989 on 16 track tape and remixed in the spring of 2016.