Breakin' Down

Well if he's not breakin down
He must be breakin up
You see him shakin the coins around
In his old tin cup
And he tramps out his time
On the wrong side of town
And if he's not breakin up
He must be breakin' down...

Whatcha stealin my whiskey for?
He cries aloud to the endless roar
Mister what are you starin at?
C'mon, c'mere, ya bum, take that
Reflection in a shop display
Step around him, he's okay
He's just drunk and mad and poor
He's on somethin that's for sure
Get him outa my way, I've got a busy day

Cuz if you're not breakin down
You must be breakin up
And then you're shakin the coins around
In your old tin cup
And then you tramp out your time
On the wrong side of town
And if you're not breakin up
You must be breakin down

I got a place of my own you know
Somewhere mostly dry to go
A little bit of a cardboard camp
Underneath the Queen Street ramp
It ain't much but it'll do
Oh I didn't mean to bother you
I'm just mad and drunk and poor
I'm on something I'm not sure
I'll get outa your way
You got a busy day

Cuz if I'm not breakin down
I must be breakin up
You see me shakin the coins around
In my old tin cup
And now I tramp out my time
On the wrong side of town
And if I'm not breakin up
I must be breakin down...


This song is special for me.

It's an unusual bit of writing, in that the point of view shifts from third, to second, to first person. And so when I sing it, I feel like I get really close to the heart of the song.

Greg Hobbs did a version of this I really liked.