Yellow Cab Dreams

On a winter night beneath the new york sky,

I rolled my yellow cab out, ready for the ride.

Picked up a lovely lady down in chinatown,

Softly she whispered, "west 20th, two fifty-seven," as we drove uptown.

Lights were turning green like fortune on my side,

So i started talking just to make the moment bright.

She asked me gently, "john, is that your name?"

Funny how her voice hit my heart just the same.

I thought maybe she'd seen my name upon the card,

But something in her face hit me deep and hit me hard.

With all the folks i carry, faces come and go,

Then in the mirror i saw a past i used to know.

"Hello hope, good to see you once more,"

She smiled and asked me, "you don't dance like before?"

'Cause back before the taxi, i was king of the floor,

In a manhattan disco where our hearts began to roar.

She dreamed of broadway lights, i dreamed of hollywood,

But life will change your plans much faster than it should.

Saw her smile at me reflected in the glass,

Remembering our nights that went too fast.

We reached her building quiet, no more words to say,

Meter read four twenty-five exactly there that day.

She pulled a twenty out and gave a tender nod,

"Keep the tip, dear john... let life decide the odds."

Counting that twenty, i let my heart drift wild,

Wondering what life would be like if i had stayed her style.

Maybe i'd be backstage right behind her every show,

Instead of driving cabs where broken dreams still glow.

But fate's a twisted map no cowboy can unfold,

Sometimes it keeps you warm, sometimes it leaves you cold.

And though it hurt to watch her fly away again,

The night rolled on through city streets like an old steel train.

Now i'm the one who's flying through new york's endless roar,

While she shines on broadway brighter than before.

But that's just how life works, brother, mark my word,

A taxi driver's heart still beats like a country bird.

And when you're stuck in traffic in this city full of noise,