Cold wind howls on Michigan Ave
City streets hold all that they have
Under the club where the brass plays loud
Hidden away from the midnight crowd
A wooden boat in a concrete room
Humming a song in the velvet gloom
Swaying slow while the horn notes blow
Down where the deep city currents flow
Old cedar planks and a rusted oar
Floating an inch from the basement floor
Water is black as a taxi tire
Burning low like a charcoal fire
The sax man hits a high lonely note
Ripples the lake in a tiny boat
Wine glasses clink on the floor above
While the dark water sings of a love
A wooden boat in a concrete room
Humming a song in the velvet gloom
Swaying slow while the horn notes blow
Down where the deep city currents flow
No one looks down through the heavy grate
The river is patient, the river can wait
Far from the rush and the yellow light
Tied to the soul of a Chicago night
The meter is running, the fare is paid
In the cool dark where the secrets laid
The boat keeps humming a steady beat
Under the noise of the windy street
A wooden boat in a concrete room
Humming a song in the velvet gloom
Swaying slow while the horn notes blow
Down where the deep city currents flow
Just keep it humming.
Sway with the tide.
Ride it home.
