I called up Charlie about a quarter past nine and said,

“What’s going on tonight?”

He said, “No plans,

but I wouldn’t mind holding a lighter head tonight”

I said, “Come to the Skyline,

I’ll be washing my sins away”

Oh, he just laughed, said, “I’ll be late

, you know how I can be”

I looked in my fridge

, it was a dark scene so I buttered some bread

Chewed my way out the door and walked down the street

To the neon Skyline

, I grabbed myself a stool at the bar

Oh, somehow Rose always knows just exactly what I need

She didn’t ask, she just opened a cold can

and set it down in front of me

I said thanks and thought about how Judy used to come here with me

But I got so tired of her calling this our disease

‘Cause I’m just fine

Sometimes I need to clear my mind

, you know how that can be

Charlie walked in about a quarter past ten

and I said, “Greetings, old man”

He hung his coat on the wall

and took the stool next to mine

He asked Rose for one glass of merlot and she laughed

Oh, I’m just fine, I’m wasting time,

sometimes there’s no better feeling than that