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As I Walk On By

from Notes from a Failed State by David Rovics

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So many of the first couple months of the pandemic lockdown for me were spent walking around the abandoned streets of Portland, watching everything and everybody deteriorate a little more each day.

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As I Walk On By

Every time I leave the apartment, things change a little more
The rug pulled out so many times, who knows where's the floor
Folks look more ragged by the day, I can give 'em a few bucks
Wonder what the future holds, wish them luck

As I walk on by

See the people on their porches, chairs out on a deck
Sometimes you can tell which ones received their checks
And which ones are still waiting after all these many weeks
Wondering if this is what it smells like in Shit's Creek

When my children ask me, I'm not quite sure what to say
Why the playground's always empty where the kids all used to play
Why the people cross the street now whenever we come near
Where did all the people go, who used to be here

I go out with my headphones on, like everybody else does
Listening for news, suddenly relevant, because
We all want to know how the virus might transform
All of us still here, weathering this storm

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from Notes from a Failed State, released June 4, 2020

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David Rovics Portland, Oregon

Singer/songwriter, writer, podcaster (on Spotify, Substack & Patreon), anarchist, dad, lover of life.

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