The Dakota (by Christine Lavin)

This song was written about John Lennon's death, but it's been stuck in my mind a lot recently, especially when I think about Tuesday's disaster. I reccomend downloading it if you can find it anywhere, or better yet, buying a copy of "What Was I Thinking", which has a lot of her songs that I really love. Anyway, I wanted to post the lyrics, so here they are.


It was a Monday morning, I was coming in from a long trip on the road
I flagged a cab down near the East Side Terminal; I said "Please take me home".
We drove up along Third Avenue and crossed through Central Park.
When we came out at 72nd street, I felt a chill in my heart.

Every time I see the Dakota, I think about that night.
Shots ringing out, the angry shouts, a man losing his life.
Well it's something we shouldn't dwell upon but it's something we shouldn't ignore.
Too many good men have been cut down. Let's pray there won't be any more.

Rush hour traffic was bottled up. We slowly inched by.
I didn't want to look, but I couldn't help staring at the scene of the crime.
There was an old man sweeping last night's dirt out of a darkened vestibule
And a uniformed guard in a gold-trimmed cap watching the world pass into view

But very time I see the Dakota, I think about that night.
Shots ringing out, the angry shouts, a man losing his life.
Well it's something we shouldn't dwell upon but it's something we shouldn't ignore.
Too many good men have been cut down. Let's pray there won't be any more.

I don't believe in coincidence, so why then on the radio
did an old familiar voice echo back from not so long ago
He said: "Imagine all the people living life in peace"
Oh, that's hard to do when you're on his bloodstained street

I wish I had the answer to the simple question "why?".
I wish this taxi would go faster, oh I wish the driver would try
To leave this street and leave this old building far behind.
I wish if Barbara Walters wants to interview murderers she changes her mind.

But every time I see the Dakota, I still think about that night.
Shots ringing out, the angry shouts, a man losing his life.
Well it's something we shouldn't dwell upon but it's something we shouldn't ignore.
Too many good men have been cut down. Let's pray there won't be any more.

Imagine all the people living life in peace.