Showing posts with label Great Depression. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Great Depression. Show all posts

Monday, March 2, 2009

More gold pain... t

This town sure loves the gold-painted doors.


The iron gates at the Title Insurance Building (433 S. Spring) are taking their turn for the gold-paint treatment. Which is fine, I guess. Spring St. is a former Banking district, after all. These buildings are monuments to a bygone era of financial excess. (Not that era, the previous one.) When we run out of doors, we can get on to gilding the pavement itself.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Seen while walking to work this morning

A homeless man sitting on the corner of 6th & Broadway, playing a clarinet. The tune: Brother, can you spare a dime? The lyrics:

They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob,
When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job.
They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead,
Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?

Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?

Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!

Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!

Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?