Pearly (Little Red)

Down in the dark and the doom of the city
There's a monstrous old gathering hall
And a man there making a windy long speech
To the lords and ladies all

Fifteen thousand, twenty thousand people
Milling and murmuring there
"And this ain't the place," says I to myself
"For a fellow that needs the fresh air."

So I asked for directions to get me outside
And I followed them all for sure
And I ended up down, ten floors underground
And I never saw an exit door

The first live soul I saw was a policeman
He was long, he was leaning on a rail
I says "I'll get to him before he sees me
"And ferried me off to jail."

So I ease myself upon his starboard quarter
I says "Excuse me, your honor, for sure
But if you've got a minute, and nothing to do
Could you head me out toward the air?"

Well, he pointed his finger back over my shoulder
And I peered away through the gloom
And there, sure enough, was an exit sign
Bright as the crack of doom

Well, I thanked him as nicely as ever I knew
And I eased my way toward the door
But he fell into step with me, right along side
I could hear his heels on the floor

Well he smiled like the sharks out off Little Green Island
He had teeth all over his face
He says, "You know there's folks'd give an arm and a leg
Just to get inside the place."

"Oh boy!" Thinks I, "I've got my foot in it now
"I never should have come to this town
And I don't know what I'm doin' here now
But I'm sure I'm doin' it wrong."

He says, "There's people travel all over the country
"Just to come and see this thing
But if I know your type, you'd rather sit around home
And listen to Little Red sing."

"Little Red," I said, "I'll be damned," I said
"I got a friend by that name back home."
And he smiles and says, "Look in this crazy world
You got to call them like they come."

"And I can tell a Maine man any-damn-where
I can tell him by his tongue
And you ain't far from the exit door
But you're a damn long way from home."

Well, he laughs till the echoes laugh again
He says "Okay, hold out your paws."
So I closed my eyes, and I held out my hands
Like my fingers were breaking the laws

And there was blueberries, blackberries
Tumbled into my hand
Rosehips bright with the smell of the night
From off of the summer land

He says, "little sister stayed home on the island
She visits us now and again
Brings us all she can pick from the hills
And it sure does taste like home."

Well, we stood in the darkness chomping them berries
Eating them our of our hand
And my heart went away to the rocks and the bays
And my friends in that lonesome land

He says "Tell me, speaking of our mutual friend
How that tough little fast picking fool
Can find his way through the brambles and rocks
Of a homesick Maine man's soul."

Ah, but I guess he knows when the days get too long
And the morning comes too soon
There's nothing will knock off the edge of your troubles
Like picking an old-time tune

Well, he stowed the empty bag away in his pocket
Turned on his heel to go
And he says, "Well, good luck, and if you see Little Red
Tell him Pearly says hello."