Rose

I got a package of money
In the mail today

From some guy named Gabriel

I figure he's some dying philanthropist
Looking for some good karma
Before he kicks the bucket

Hey, fine with me, I think

I see Season Tickets in that package
I see Superbowl tickets
I see playoffs for the rest of my life

Then I see my wife...

She was standing by the television
Scrubbing it down with windex
Which pretty much ruins the screen
But you know...

She hasn't had a pair of nice shoes ever
Not ever in her life

I mean, she's had shoes
We're not beggars or anything

But you know those crazy shoes
The girls from New York pay for?

She's had never had shoes like that

And she's never had a nice bag
Like a real nice bag
With a big letter on it
Or anything like that

And when Johnny needed braces
She told me that we didn't need to go to Cape Cod that year
She postponed our first vacation since the kids were born
So that John could have a nice smile

That's the wife I got

And I've bought her birthday presents
But you know, lousy stuff
Stuff husbands buy--

Candles
Music boxes
Hallmark cards

Stuff I'm sure she was grateful for
But nothing luxurious
Nothing to brag about

And she's never complained

Everyday she goes to work until five
Comes home, does the budget
Does the dishes
Makes dinner
Nags at me to take out the trash
Helps the kids with their homework
Watches five seconds of television in bed
Then passes out

That's her life

And you know...

I said I'd give her a better life than that

When we were kids
We used to run around together
And her parents hated me
Because they knew I'd amount to nothing
And she loved me anyway

I proposed to her
With a ring I found
At a pawn shop
And she still wears it
Like it's a queen's crown

I told her one day I'd make her rich
Richer than her parents
Richer than my parents
Richer than the family who owned Tenders
The fancy restaurant where I popped the question to her

I borrowed money from my dad
To take her there

I should have taken that as a sign

A sign that I was never going to be anything
Just some dumb schlub of a husband
Who could hold a decent job
But never do more than get by

And that's what we've been doing

All these years
We've been getting by

And I never took the time
To feel guilty about it

And my wife never complained

But when I saw that package of money
From that old dead rich guy
I felt it

I felt all that guilt

Because the first thing I thought was
I'm rich

And let me tell you something
I already was

So I walked over to the television
And I took my wife's hand
And I took her into the bedroom

I laid her out on that bed
And I stood over her

And the whole time she's going--

'Frank, knock it off. You're going to fall and kill yourself.'

And I shook that money down on her

I shook it down like it was green rain
Coming down

And she stared at it
As it covered her body

Then she started to cry
Then laugh
Then cry some more

And I kept saying 'You're rich, Rose. You're rich.'

She pulled me down
And gave me a kiss
And we laid there
Until she said--

'God, this money must be filthy'

And I laughed so hard
I almost fell off the bed
Then I pulled her close to me
And I asked her what she wanted

Anything in the world
And I'd get it for her

Nice shoes
A nice bag
A trip anywhere in the world

And she looked at me
Money falling off her face

And she said--'Well, I could use some more paper towels.'

That's my wife

That's my Rose