Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah — For Eddie

He'd been dealt a bad hand, nearly fifty years old Cleanin' glasses at night in a bar Only one good hand for to play him his tunes On a piano, all tired out and marred And the stone angel hung on the wall up above Looked out blind all the nights long But when the one-armed man played to an empty saloon She looked down and smiled as he played her his songs Duke, the white Shepherd who guarded the room Never leavin' the back of the bar Would climb up on the stage and curl up around his feet As to guard him and his music from harm And the stone angel hung on the wall up above Looked out blind all the nights long But when the one-armed man played to an empty saloon She looked down and smiled as he played her his songs I heard him one night when he thought to be alone And I lied and I did him a wrong I can't give back the pleasure his music gave to me I can only give him this song He played better with one hand than most men with two Yet made posters for all of the stars And I wish to my heart he could play for you So you'd know just how happy you are And the stone angel hung on the wall up above And me and the big white dog All stopped once to listen to the one-armed man play To their smiles in an empty saloon