Well along in the 21st hour When the whole damn grid goes down This is how a party gets started In for a penny — in for a pound All at once the whole joint goes quiet And all the wavy lines go straight One fool among fools is wondering What happens if I die too late? Get back with your dimestore nihilism Big daddy’s on a glory run Gettin’ down on the cellular level Just in case I got to call someone
Darkling down — on a darkling plain In the dim dank night of the pissin’-down rain Darkling down — on the balls of his ass While he prays and waits for the storm to pass
Lemme show you where the good thing happens It’s a barbershop in Inglewood Too bad we won’t get past the bouncer Sadly I’ve been banned for good There’s a coffee shop right ‘round the corner The proprietor knows my name Cup of joe and a Vicks inhaler Now you’re ready for the big boy game Steady son come seven come eleven If either one of us can count that high Muscatel if the deal gets dicey Milk and honey in the by and by
Darkling down — it’s a damn disgrace Going round and round in a very small place Darkling down — with a hole in his soul That he can’t explain and he can’t control
For the fun or for the money For the fuck of it or just because Listen friend this is no damn picnic But let’s imagine for a minute that it was Who will feast on this buzzard’s banquet? Who will render my heroic bust? Who will choke on my lachrymose musings? Who will eat my zero dust? Who will wear this puke-streaked tunic? Who shall gorge on this cup of spleen? Who will sing about the good bad and ugly? And all and everything in between?
Darkling down — this is god’s good man On his hands and knees livin’ god’s good plan Darkling down — and we don’t know still When he’ll come around if he ever will Darkling down — on a zero-G dive And we just can’t say will the fool survive Darkling down — in a seven-G turn Glowing like a coal in the afterburn
Vocals, bass, guitar solo: Walter Becker Drums: Keith Carlock Guitar: Jon Herington Keyboards: Ted Baker Hammond organ: Larry Goldings Percussion: Gordon Gottlieb Background vocals: Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffery, Kate Markowitz, Cindy Mizelle, Windy Wagner