He made love as if it were the last time
Kissed his woman as if she were the last one
And each child as if they were the only ones
And he crossed the street with his shy step
He climbed the construction site as if he were a machine
He built in the landing four solid walls
Brick by brick in a magical design
His eyes dulled by the concrete and tears
He sat down to rest as though it were Saturday
He ate beans and rice as though he were a prince
Then drank and sobbed as though he were a castaway
He danced and laughed as if he were listening to music
And he stumbled in the sky as though he were a drunk
And he floated in the air as though he were a bird
And he finished on the ground in a messy heap
He agonized in the middle of the public sidewalk
He died going the wrong way interrupting the traffic
He made love that time as if he were the best
He kissed his woman as if she were the only one
And each child as if they were the prodigy
And he crossed the street with his drunken step
He climbed the construction site as if it were solid
He built in the landing four magical walls
Brick by brick in a logical design
His eyes dulled by the concrete and traffic
He sat down to rest as though he were a prince
He ate beans and rice as if it were the best
He drank and sobbed as if he were a machine
He danced and laughed as if he were the next one
And he stumbled in the sky as though listening to music
And he floated in the air as if it were Saturday
And finished on the ground in a shy heap
He agonized in the middle of the castaway sidewalk
He died going the wrong way interrupting the public
He made love that time as if he were a machine
He kissed his woman as if it were logical
He built in the landing four flaccid walls
He sat down to rest as if he were a bird
And he floated in the air as if he were a prince
And finished on the ground in a drunken heap
He died going the wrong way interrupting Saturday
For this bread to eat, for this ground to sleep
The birth certificate and the license to smile
For letting me breathe, for letting me exist
God shall reward you
For the free liquor that we all have to swallow
For the smoke and the misfortune, that we all have to cough
For the hanging scaffold from which we all have to fall
God shall reward you
For the moaning woman to praise us and spit at us
And for the flies to kiss us and cover us
And for the final peace that in the end will redeem us
God shall reward you