St. Genevieve the Brave

This one was written in 2005 and marked the end of a 10-year dry spell. St. Genevieve is the name of the Catholic patron saint of Paris who saved the city from famine by delivering a shipload of bread. My fellow Texans might also recognize that St. Genevieve is a local Hill Country winery. And there is a third possibility.

I hope the song is open to all three.

St. Genevieve the Brave

the end of december cuts like a dagger
let's stagger on home-- this party is blown.
come on, now, stephen, the streetlights aren't even aglow anymore,
what should we care for?

come again, st. genevieve the brave,
lend an ear to the ones that you would save


she's straight as an arrow, has ice in her marrow
and always alone-- no need for a phone.
each blessed evening curled up with her reading- the same as before
no knock on the door

come again, st. genevieve the brave,
lend an ear to the ones that you would save.

you're falling through the atmosphere-
the shake, the break, the shattering sound--
and now there's nothing left to fear,
you're merging with the fire and the light surrounds

jump in the van, man, we're home by eleven
and no one will know-- I've done this before.
you'll never believe her, you've just got to see her,
slip her a ten and you're twenty again.

come to me, st. genevieve relieve
all the fears of one who can't believe