Casey's Last Ride

Casey joins the hollow sound of silent people walking down

The stairway to the subway in the shadows down below;

Following their footsteps through the neon-darkened corridors

Of silent desperation, never speakin' to a soul.

The poison air he's breathin' has the dirty smell of dying

'Cause it's never seen the sunshine and it's never felt the rain.

But Casey minds the arrows and ignores the fatal echoes

Of the clickin' of the turnstiles and the rattle of his chains.

"Oh!" she said, "Casey, it's been so long since I've seen you!"

"Here" she said, "just a kiss to make a body smile!"

"See" she said, "I've put on new stockings just to please you!"

"Lord!" she said, "Casey, can you only stay a while?"

Casey leaves the under-ground and stops inside the Golden Crown

For something wet to wipe away the chill that's on his bone.

Seeing his reflection in the lives of all the lonely men

Who reach for any thing they can to keep from goin' home.

Standin' in the corner Casey drinks his pint of bitter

Never glancing in the mirror at the people passing by

Then he stumbles as he's leaving and he wonders if the reason

Is the beer that's in his belly, or the tear that's in his eye.

"Oh!" she said, "I suppose you seldom think about me,"

"Now" she said, "now that you've a fam'ly of your own;"

"Still" she said, "it's so blessed good to feel your body!"

"Lord!" she said "Casey, it's a shame to be alone!"

• Artist:Kris Kristofferson
• Album:Kristofferson (1970)