Track 9 of the album Saudade Sundays · 2020
Banjo Boy Under the Streetlamp, Saturday
“A young man with a banjo under a lamp, and the whole street slows down to listen. I added a nylon guitar to answer his tune.”
bossa nova · bossa nova · street-corner jazz · 4:33
Lyrics
Under the streetlamp on Saturday night A young man picks a tune Warm as the evening, soft as the air And as sweet as a summer moon A couple is walking, they slow to a stop Her head on his shoulder is leaning And the song isn't asking for anything back It is simply made of meaning Play me a song for the late summer air Play me a song for the two of us there Under the lamp where the moths come to dance Play me a song for a slow romance Soft on the strings and sweet on the breeze Let the whole street sway like the leaves in the trees Play me a song for the late summer air The coins in his cap are a quiet delight But the smiles are worth more than they know An old man hums the tune he once heard On a porch many summers ago A girl in a sundress spins on the kerb With her sandals dangling in hand And the night is so gentle, the night is so kind It is all that anyone planned Play me a song for the late summer air Play me a song for the two of us there Under the lamp where the moths come to dance Play me a song for a slow romance Soft on the strings and sweet on the breeze Let the whole street sway like the leaves in the trees Play me a song for the late summer air Tomorrow brings its busy things And autumn knocks the door But tonight there is a lamp, a song And nothing wanted more He plays the last chord, lets it ring Till it fades into the dark A hush comes down on the little street And a dog gives one soft bark The couple walks on hand in hand Still humming as they go And the streetlamp keeps the melody In its warm and amber glow Play me a song for the late summer air Play me a song for the two of us there Under the lamp where the moths come to dance Play me a song for a slow romance Soft on the strings and sweet on the breeze Let the whole street sway like the leaves in the trees Play me a song for the late summer air For the late summer air Play me a song for the late summer air