Rhinestone Cowboy
as sung by Glen Campbell
He tells me he wants to be a Rhinestone Cowboy.
He smells like stale Lucky Strikes,
the Aegean, and boatwright’s sweat,
I found this stupid ex-pat bar in a guidebook.
riding out on a horse
in a star-spangled rodeo.
Barely old enough to be his daughter,
but there’s something
about the way he calls me
baby doll. I order another round
so I don’t have to leave.
And nice guys get washed away
like the snow and the rain.
His friends laugh at him
tell him to leave me alone,
the poor americanitha.
There is something suspicious
about a girl alone in a bar with no story.
And a smile can hide all the pain
But you’re down when you’re ridin’ the train
Meanwhile, we’re in
his dingy apartment,
watching my clothes fall
off at the kitchen table.
Enough whiskey to feel
clean until the sunrise.
_____