Singing at the Pier & Developing New Song

Well, Melissa, Trevor and I finally got to the pier yesterday (despite the fact that I really haven't had a chance to practice up on my inept guitar chord playing techniques). We went up the middle pier and sat in the middle (away from the end where all the people tend to congregate). We did a short repertoire, with Trevor and I singing (either lead or backup). I would say we were quite unobstrusive and did not tread on anyone's toes or disturb those who were there to relax by the river. Besides, I think the openness and the river soaked up and muted our sounds.

Then a (seemingly) middle eastern woman (middle age, I would say) walked away from the tip of the pier and passed us. She passed me first, then Trevor. From the moment she passed me, she looked at both of us with this horrible glaring look (as if she were horrified at our behavior). She did not for one instant let up on the glare. To me, her look seemed like a terribly angry look; to Trevor, it looked like a horrified look. Nevertheless, Trevor gave her points for her constance in the glare. Meanwhile, Trevor said that as he saw her approach, he kept smiling at the woman to show her that he was friendly. You know, Trevor's I'm-such-a-nice-and-friendly-guy" smile (very wide, and you can almost hear him saying "ghee, ghee!!!"). All I could see was her terrible glare at us. When she passed us (and, she even turned her head back towards us when she passed -- same glare in place), I said "tengo mucho miedo," which caused Trevor to explode into raucous laughter.

It was a reason for laughter, extrapolation, imagination, exaggeration, mimicing, more exaggerated facial expressions, and mucho uncontrolled laughter all the way home and on the subway.

We had much fun.

Stay tuned for our next pier experience.

This is the song that resulted (sung to the tune of Long Black Veil):

Sung to the Long Black Veil music:

Last Thursday night in the moist dank heat

Cruella was walking her usual beat

She said not a word, but her glare was clear

That we were looking at a face that provoked pure fear

She walks the piers as we sing and wail

She wishes she could turn us into bloody entrails

The guard doesn’t know, the loungers don’t see

Nobody sees but we.

We slipped off the pier, to save our life

Hoping to escape Bin Laden’s wife

We ran as we could, behind her sneer

Then sat at a bodega and drank some beer