WORN-DOWN PIANO
The Mark & Clark Band


Each Tuesday morning, they'd all stand in line
the auction would open promptly at nine
the gavel came down on the auctioneer's block
and the bidding began on a grandfather's clock

next up a bid in the rear of the room
a piano worn down and a bit out of tune
who stopped the bidding, the auctioneer quiet (?)
No voices rang out, so just put it aside

shouts filled the room and the auction went on
but the cries of the crowd were stopped by a song
everyone turned to the rear of the room
to that worn down piano, a bit out of tune

Oh the days long ago when the crowds came around
to hear that piano ring out with sound
but the crowds have all gone and the symphony's through
and the piano cries out: "let me play once for you"

A man with a torn coat and a hole in one shoe
sat playing the song that nobody knew
the music rang out and that song filled the room
from that worn down piano, a bit out of tune

Then from the crowd a man shouted a bid
"one thousand dollars for that piano I'll give"
"two thousand", "three thousand", and the bidding went on
as the man in the torn coat kept playing that song

The bidding grew tense each bid more and more
till the five thousand figure rang out from the floor
the man in the torn coat just sat there and stared
playing that song as if no-one were there

oh the days long ago when the crowds came around
to hear that piano ring out with sound
but the crowds have all gone and the symphony's through
and the piano cries out: "let me play once for you"

The man in the torn coat plaid as if to say
"I too want your piano but I've nothing to pay
I'd give all I own if you could be mine
but all I can bid is this bottle of wine"

"sold to the gaffer (?)", rang out through the air (?)
The auction blahblah (?) "Top that bid if you dare"
"yes give him the piano, maestro play loud"
but who's the man, in the torn coat gown (?)

It's a quarter past five and the bidding is done
everything's sold and now leave one by one
the auction is over and left in that room
is that worn down piano, still a bit out of tune

oh the days long ago when the crowds came around
to hear that piano ring out with sound
but the crowds have all gone and the symphony's through
and the piano cries out: "let me once play for you"