Spring Street

Lyrics to Keith Naylor's Song: Spring Street

"Hey mister do you have a dime?
Do you have a dime?
That’s all I need for my train fare.

I lost my job and my wife’s real sick
And my baby owes more than I can pay

And I smell the scent of Listerine
And the baby steps of a well planned scheme

And I wonder
Oh I wondered why my God is here,
I wondered why he needed a beer in the winter

Hey Jesus with your worn out clothes
And your scattered mind
What you doing on Spring Street?

Of all the people you could be
Do you have to be a disguise so distressing?

So I held out my hand to my new found friend
Side by side we walked to the Crystal

As we talked and as we ate
He forgot his scam and I lost my hate for the winter

I smelled the scent of love unseen
The longing of a heart that clean
And I wondered
I wondered why my God was here,
I wondered how he took my fear
Yes I wondered

Hey Jesus with your worn out clothes
And your scattered mind
What you doing on Spring Street?

Of all the people you could be
Do you have to be a disguise so distressing?

Hey mister do you have the time? Do you have the time?
I think I’m late for my train here
Thank you so much you’ve been more than kind and if you don’t mind
Could you spare me a nickel?

I spelled the scent of Listerine
And I gave the man the last of my change and I wondered

I wondered why my God was here
I wondered why he let me near
Yes I wondered

Hey Jesus with your worn out clothes
and your scattered mind
what you doing on Spring Street?

Of all the people you could be
Do you have to be a disguise so distressing?


I turned and walked away to my car
Met a man I had seen before and he asked me
Hey mister do you have a dime? Do you have a dime?"

Living in the city people often ask me for dimes, or quarters, or nickels, for bus fare to somewhere they desperately need to go. If i have any change on me (often I do not) I usually give it. People often say its stupid to give them change - that they are just using me, manipulating me, scamming me. I guess I figure its just a quarter or a nickel or a dime. I guess I figure I'm okay if they are using me, manipulating me, or scamming me because that's not for me to judge - I am to give what I have and often feel guilty I do not give more. Jesus asks us to give more than is asked of us - a quarter, dime, or nickel doesn't seem like much at all especially when that's all they are asking for and to be honest i don't give more.