You wipe the counter down with grease-stained rag
The coffee pot sings its boiling gag
A rusty can sits on the basement stair
Jazz notes drift up through the heavy air
Short order regulars grin at your quip
Night shift hums on a greasy tip
That watering can holds Chicago rain
Rusted metal singing saxophone refrain
You pour the dregs and watch brown water spin
Night shift ends where the daylight begins
Dented spout catches every blue note
Basement jazz keeps the can afloat
Bacon crackles loud on the seasoned grill
Regulars laugh till their coffee spills
The can leans crooked by the fire escape
A dented relic nobody could break
You flip an egg with a practiced wrist
Jazz club rhythm on your graveyard shift
Saxophone bleeds through the concrete wall
You hear the trumpet's muted call
That rusty spout pours shadows on the floor
Jazz club basement begs for just one more
Condensation beads on metal skin
Night air thick with brass and gin
That watering can holds Chicago rain
Rusted metal singing saxophone refrain
You pour the dregs and watch brown water spin
Night shift ends where the daylight begins
Dented spout catches every blue note
Basement jazz keeps the can afloat
Steam rises up from your coffee cup
Morning light hits the can's rough gut
No plants to water in this basement deep
Just memories the jazz club sounds keep
You wipe your hands on your apron stained
Another night shift fully gained
You lock the diner at the break of dawn
The can stays rusted, the jazz goes on
Chicago wind blows off the lake so cold
Another night shift story gets told
Regulars will return for eggs and toast
You'll joke about the can matter-of-fact
That watering can holds Chicago rain
Rusted metal singing saxophone refrain
You pour the dregs and watch brown water spin
Night shift ends where the daylight begins
Dented spout catches every blue note
Basement jazz keeps the can afloat
Rusty can waits for the next night's song
Dawn breaks slow but the beat goes on
You walk home humming that basement tune
