From the recording Pack It Up
Lyrics
Back in my high school I had a history teacher
In my life I’d never met a more curious creature
Flat top, white socks, black penny loafers
Plaid pants, matching shirt and tie’d knock you over
But he could play a trumpet horn
And all at once he was reborn
And it was 1955
I’d never seen him more alive
He’d tell you about Silent Cal and the Ohio Icicle
He’d bless you out for not checking out your audio-visuals
Every Thursday at the barbershop was pure habitual
And every Saturday the steam trains a weekend ritual
But he could play a trumpet horn
And make you think you’d been reborn
Like it was 1965
I’d never seen him more alive
He drove a long black Pontiac from ‘77
He’d fill it up every Friday at the 7-11
We’d hang around just to hear that V8 revving
That was small town living
Hell, that was small town heaven
Yeah he could play a trumpet horn
It made me think I’d been reborn
And that was 1985
I wanted to be more alive