Throw a penny from the window, watch an old man play a song
On a twenty-dollar violin he bought before the war,
Though he screeches and he scratches and the notes are always wrong,
But he plays like he´s in concert on the street outside my door.
Tunes to suit your fancy,
Are there any requests?
I´ll play them for a penny,
(Play them penny music, play them for a penny)
And not a penny less.
He´s the local virtuoso, it´s his only way of life,
Plays ninety-seven overtures and goes home to his wife,
In the quiet of the evening while his frozen fingers bleed,
He counts pennies on a blanket to supply his meager need.
Tunes to suit your fancy,
Are there any requests?
I´ll play them for a penny,
(Play them penny music, play them for a penny)
And not a penny less.
When there´s frost upon the pumpkin in the weakness of the sun,
People stand there in the cold until his symphony is done,
In the early gray of morning, he´s sure to come around,
You can hear him through the window when the pennies hit the ground.
Tunes to suit your fancy,
Are there any requests?
I´ll play them for a penny,
(Play them penny music, play them for a penny)
And not a penny less.
They´re playing penny music,
Playing penny music,
They´re playing penny music,
Playing penny music,
Playing penny music.
fade out...