He said he plays for Joe the barber, recalling
The working Pennsylvania neighborhoods
And groups of working guys, with evening falling,
Discussing the baseball scores and the price of goods
In Joe or Tony’s shop. They want to hear
The good old songs, so one of them will play
Soft rhythm chords, and take the barber’s chair,
And furnish a little music to refresh the day.
He walks on stage in London, expecting no
Accompaniment or fanfare, takes his seat
And plays. The songs are now become a flow
Of lines and voices, the style enriched, complete.
But even in this, something still depends
On some hometown parlor, where he plays for friends.