Story Behind The Song

Alone on my birthday in a room in San Francisco, drunk on good red wine, I began to write this song.

Lyrics

Fortunes rise and fall quickly
on the streets of the district
where I used to live
alone in a room across the street
from the millionaire

His light was on all night
cascading moonlight
would halo the people
dancing all evening up there
drunk on the cold ocean air

He had a room for rent
I had some money unspent
so I went over one evening
when the cool breeze was in my pocket
because the big winds were over my head

Things went fine
couple glasses of wine
and that room was mine
but that ain't all
I may have found in the end
I may have found a friend
or perhaps an enemy

Well his woman was real
she knew the deal
and she drank all my whiskey
but left when his headlights fell
on the sycamores by my windowsill

Now the pattern ain't changed
nothing's been rearranged
it's all the same
year in year out everywhere
I can see his inscrutable stare

He said "she always said I knew
everything except the truth -
that's how I knew she leave
but return again
and that I'd lose a friend
or perhaps and enemy

A collection of ugly things
arranged perfectly
can sting the eyes with tears
can you see it
when you're a millionaire?