And the Music Plays

You missed my show

Not that I'm upset
It wasn't that...

Sorry

I was about to make an excuse

About why my voice...

First it was a cold
Then the cold became a condition
The condition became this and that

But it was never the drinking
Never the drugs
Never the bad behavior

So yeah, you didn't miss much of a show

You know...

Tonight I looked out into the audience
And it hit me

I don't know any of these people

And I used to, you know
I used to look out and know...everybody

Which was, in its own sort of way
Depressing

Thinking--Okay, so who comes to my shows?

Friends
Family
Obligated parties

Now, I'm playing to people who are actually interested
Who actually want to hear me
And it feels...empty

I started doing the rounds in my head

Where did everybody go?

New York
L.A.
Chicago
London
Pennsylvania

Most of them are still 'around'
They just have kids
And families
And cars with tv's in them

And they can't go out during the week
They have...responsibilities

And I have the music

Remember when I told you
All those years ago
That the reason I missed everything

Weddings and birthdays
And baptisms
And all that bullshit

Remember when I told you
That I missed all that stuff
For shows
And that the reason
I would always choose shows
Over everything else
Is because in ten years
The shows would be there
And everyone else would not?

Well...

I was right

And I've never been so upset
About being right