Story Behind The Song

Was thinking about having a social relationship with my neighborhood trash collectors; as one would with the mail carrier, or back in the day, the milk man.

Song Description

Upon realizing that one of the garbage men who regularly collects in his neighborhood has fallen ill, a man starts to ponder what may have caused the trash collector's sickness. In his thinking of refuse and related things, he decides to make more use of his waste and not throw items away anymore.

Lyrics

I noticed this morning that Trash Man B came to work alone
I said, "Hey, where's Trash Man A?"
And he said to me, "He didn't come to work today, I think he's fallen ill
Maybe from something in these garbage pails."

Did he eat that brown banana that I threw out
Or maybe that freezer-burned lake trout?
Did he take it to his family and feed it to them too?
I think that'd be rather foolish, don't you?

"Well," said B, "trash men make a decent wage
but you can liken our work to those who dig graves:
no matter how much of the dead and rotting you see
One can't overcome their morbid curiosity.

"So maybe he did feed off that banana you said
Or maybe that fish you discarded
I really don't know, it's really hard to say
All I know is that he's not working today."

So I closed up the window
And went to make my morning cup of coffee
And then I got to thinking about yesterday's grounds
And that perhaps I should run them through another round

And whilst digging in the bin I found a sock with a hole
And thought maybe I could darn it and wear it once more
I also found the butt from an old cigarette
That upon examination seemed to have another puff in it yet

By the time I had finished rooting through my own trash
I'd removed and found re-use for everything but the bag
And I looked back out the window and called to Trash Man B,
"I don't think you have to collect here after today...

"From this day forward I shall not waste and not want
In lieu of throwing things away I'll just find a different spot for them
So give my regards and my thanks to Trash Man A
For he has taught me a valuable lesson today."