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lyrics

POOL HALL THIEVES (Smegal)

I stand here upon this alter of neon
With this three-piece choir and preach
To an ex-con congregation of harlots,
Hustlers, drunkards, and pool-hall thieves
And a haze of Marlboro incense
Hangs over the bar-stool pews
And a lipstick stain-glass chandelier
Shakes from my rust-belt blues
Up here I’m in church,
This guitar is my steeple
You’re a raggedy-ass bunch
But hell, you’re still my people

If you ain’t got nothin’
Sometimes that nothin’ feels
Like you have it all
When you’re lyin’ in the gutter
Down here in the gutter my friend
You got nowhere left to fall
And I quote the prophet’s ways
Of Guthrie and Dylan
And I try to recall the footsteps
Of Jennings, Cash, and Williams
Up here I’m in church,
This guitar is my steeple
You’re a raggedy-ass bunch
But hell, you’re still my people

I stand here upon this pulpit of neon
With a three-piece choir and preach
To an ex-con congregation of harlots,
Hustlers, drunkards, and pool-hall thieves

credits

from The Carpet Beggars - The Carpet Beggars, released January 1, 2002

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Tony Mentzer Sharon, Pennsylvania

Singer, songwriter, multi-instumentalist, Tony Mentzer, a native of West Middlesex, PA, was a founding member of regionally successful rock band, The Infidels, before leaving in 1985. It was around this time that Tony began to experiment with the wonders of home 4-track recording and though the equipment has changed over the years, the mission remained the same. Tony passed away in April of 2018. ... more

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