The Garbage Man       (lyrics only)      by Bill Thompson (The TrueVulgarians)

Verse one

As a white kid in Cleveland, a divided town, the only time I’d ever see a black man around,

I’d rush out to watch as he picked up our cans, sweat and a smile on his face and I liked talking to him.

He was the garbage man… Joe was our garbage man.

He told me corny jokes and always made me laugh and I’d run to catch up, when his noisy rig passed,

Though he sounded strange, kinda natural and free, his voice had a rhythm and a melody to me.

He was the garbage man… Joe was our garbage man.

Mom remained leery, said “leave that man alone”, fueled a boy’s curiosity about the unknown.

I became his pal, thought his truck was cool, he said there’s more to life than this, so do good in school.

The garbage man… Joe was our garbage man.

Verse two

The neighbors called him hateful names, and never by Joe, how can you talk so bad ‘bout someone you don’t know.

I wondered to myself, what had he done to them, was I wrong to like him and call him my friend?        

The garbage man… Joe was our garbage man

It made no sense, all this hatred and fear, all he did was work and load that

truck from the rear, yeah, it was true, he didn’t look like me, but there was a lot more to him than his color to see.

The garbage man… Joe was our garbage man.

Bridge

Black skin grows thick, came to discard the things people say

Just another part of the trash that you haul away.

Verse three

He worked for the city for the past 30 years, in an orange jump suit, this became his career.

Said he had five children but two were dead, one in child birth, one shot in the head,

The garbage man…. Joe was our garbage man.

Quit school in Georgia in the 7th grade, said his great-great-grand-daddy came here as a slave

Tried his best to be a respected man, not just another brother slingin’ garbage cans,

The garbage man…. Joe was our garbage man.

Viewed as part of the rubbish they didn’t need, but put two kids through college who got their degrees

and I understood why he looked pleased, one can at a time, their future guaranteed.

The garbage man… Joe was our garbage man.      X  2

A song inspired by my childhood experiences while raised in a then very segregated Cleveland, Ohio.  A bit of social commentary on race relations from the late 50's and early 60's.  

Words and Music by Bill Thompson

Joseph Rodriguez performed all the music, arrangement and production

The TrueVulgarians on vocals, Bill Thompson lead, Jacki Grapentine, harmony