I slept last night in a good hotel

 

I went shopping today for jewels

 

The wind rushed around in the dirty town

 

And the children let out from the schools

 

I was standing on a noisy corner

 

Waiting for the walking on green

 

Across the street he stood

And he played real good

On his clarinet for free

 

Now me I play for fortunes

And those velvet curtain calls

 

I've got a black limousine

And two gentlemen

 

Escorting me to the halls

 

And I play if you have the money

 

Or if you're a friend to me

 

But the one man band

By the quick lunch stand

 

He was playing real good for free

 

Nobody stopped to hear him

Though he played so sweet and high

 

They knew he had never

Been on their T V

So they passed his music by

 

I meant to go over and ask for a song

 

Maybe put on a harmony

 

I heard his refrain

As the signal changed

He was playing real good for free