Track 4 of the album Orchard Road · 2015
Last Plate at the Hawker Stall
“An uncle wiping counters after the last customer, saying the night is fine. I wanted to put his kindness on a record.”
country · street-food country · warm twang · 4:00
Lyrics
Steam is rising off the last pot on the line The uncle's wiping counters, says the night is fine Paper lanterns swinging in the humid air Plastic stools are stacking, but there's room for one more chair Come on over, we don't close till the pot is dry Come on over, there's a little left for you and I It's the last plate at the hawker stall Cheap and hot and the best of all Sit down, stranger, let your shoulders fall There's a little bit of sweetness left for all The neon hums, the ceiling fans go round Nobody's in a hurry, nobody's leaving town Last plate at the hawker stall Auntie slides a bowl across with a wink and a grin Says you look like you been walking since the day begun A taxi driver laughing with a girl in her work shoes Everybody sharing all the day's good news Come on over, we don't close till the pot is dry Come on over, there's a little left for you and I It's the last plate at the hawker stall Cheap and hot and the best of all Sit down, stranger, let your shoulders fall There's a little bit of sweetness left for all The neon hums, the ceiling fans go round Nobody's in a hurry, nobody's leaving town Last plate at the hawker stall Hoses running, shutters coming down The late moon over a sleepy town We wash the day away, we wash the day away And leave a light on for the dawn's first plate The last stool's tucked beneath the steel The uncle hums a tune, you know how good it feels To be fed and to be known by a name When the whole wide world is saying goodnight just the same It's the last plate at the hawker stall Cheap and hot and the best of all Sit down, stranger, let your shoulders fall There's a little bit of sweetness left for all The neon hums, the ceiling fans go round Nobody's in a hurry, nobody's leaving town Last plate at the hawker stall Last plate at the hawker stall Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight to all