Gerry Mulligan Follow

Valhalla Avenue
North Atlantic Wind
He sits in the light of the carousel
with his children running 'round his knees
While the wind howls down through the fishing boat mast
the lights sway and the barkers freeze

Well, his clothes are ragged and his smile is bright
and the world he's in is only his
so let no fool come up and look at him and say,
"How'd you get to be like this? Not even 30 yet and you're like this!"

North Atlantic wind will warp our resting veins
It will dissolve you finally
and naked you'll die, under the black sky, lost and alone

In the all-night party at the chemical plant, everybody's feeling grand
The Irish peasants haven't had this much fun
since their ancestors fled the land
A man with a hammer smashes down a wall, and everybody shouts, "Hooray!"
and the virgins get taken in the shower stalls
where the cyanide comes up the drains
Don't call an ambulance if you can't pay

North Atlantic wind will warp our resting veins
It'll put you back down in your place
and take that arrogant look off your face

North Atlantic wind will cut through bone and brain
Oh, be glad that you can still feel pain
because naked you'll die, under the black sky, lost and alone

Valhalla Avenue
North Atlantic Wind