When Pop died in '95
We spread his ashes
Over a lake in upstate New York
Me, Cork, and Ma
And when we were done
Ma had a hand apiece
From each of us
Plus Cork's wife Karen
And Ma said--
This is when we sing
My brother studied opera
When he was in school
But wrote letters back
Saying he was pre-law
Because he knew Pop would say
That opera won't pay the bills
Still, Ma says Pop knew all along
That their kid was meant to sing, not sue
And this is when we sing
We eat at the pancake place
Right by the lake
And Karen tell us her Pop story
Because everyone who ever met Pop
Has a Pop story
And Karen's Pop story
Is that when she met Pop
He made her sit down at the piano with him
And sing 'Spirit in the Sky'
Have you ever heard 'Spirit in the Sky' on piano?
It's perhaps the most awful sound in the world
And Pop wailed along
While Karen tried to keep up
She thought he was both insane
And extremely religious
And every time he wanted to cue her
He'd say--
This is when we sing
Ma says when me and Cork were born
Pop refused to admit
That we looked like him
Even though we both have his nose
And his chin, and his goofy grin
When the business closed
Ma locked herself in the bedroom
Convinced we were going to be on the street
And Pop picked the lock on the bedroom door
While holding me and Cork on each arm
And he picked Mom up too
I don't know how
And the next thing I knew
We were all in the living room
Around the piano
With Ma saying--
'Joe, we're going to be in the poorhouse next month'
And Pop saying--
This is when we sing
When my Pop got sick
He used to sing in the hospital
All his nurses used to make requests
And he'd sing
At his last breath
He was smiling
And singing
Ma was crying too hard to be in the room
Cork and I were looking down
And Pop was holding Karen's hand
And singing 'Spirit in the Sky'
When we all drove back
From spreading Pop's ashes
Ma put the radio on
Pushed back the tears
At the edge of her eyes
Looked at the three of us
And said--
'Okay, kids--'
This is when we sing
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