Ray St. Ray

I had a place to live, I had a place to park my car,
there was my favorite cleaners and a real neat corner bar.
There were some vintage brownstones and some stately poplar trees
which used to shade the sidewalk and whisper in the breeze-“Welcome!”
The street had potholes but we all knew where they were,
the buildings were quite old and some needed repair,
plumbing and wiring were nearing obsolescence
but the place had character and rents were pretty decent!
I had some real nice neighbors who took care of their yards.
They had the sweetest children, well behaved cats and dogs.
There was a girl that I liked who lived across the way.
We’d ride the bus together, she’d smile at me and say-“Hello!”
Came home from work one day to find a big machine
tearing up the street before anyone could intervene.
Lawns, curbs and cobblestones were stripped right down to bare clay,
crushed into gravel, put in trucks and hauled away!
Somebody stole my street!
The next day someone came and cut down all the trees,
bulldozed the little stores without even saying ‘please.’
Rehabbed the old apartments and built some new townhouses
on a new blacktop street. They even rerouted the buses!
My neighborhood is now a trendy hipster spot.
Can’t afford to live there because real estate’s too hot.
Strip shopping malls and, of course, a Seven Eleven.
It isn’t Hell but it is nowhere near to Heaven!
Somebody stole my street!
I had a place to live, I had a place to park my car.
There was my favorite cleaners and a real neat corner bar.
There was a girl that I liked who lived across the way.
We’d ride the bus together, she’d smile at me and say-“Hey!”
I had a vision of the future of us all
living in a world that is one giant shopping mall
festooned with colored lights and now I see the reason:
The entire year will be the Christmas shopping season!
Somebody stole my street!
I really mean it! I can’t believe it!

Have you seen it?
Somebody stole my street!

©1991, 2025