I became the heiress to a red and rusted bicycle

Built like a tank from Sears Roebuck circa 1952

It had been entrusted to me by my late great uncle Pat

And I guess he didn't ride it much

Both tires on the bike were flat

Pat had died at Christmas time in 1991

He had fallen off the wagon

And he sunk into a Christmas funk

My father he had found him

Two days after he had died

Well he drank himself to death one night

In a little home he owned by the seaside

So I took the bike and I cleaned it up

My father he patched up the tires

Am I going to town or just spinning my wheels

And when I die I wonder how it feels

Hey and I'm riding around riding around on it

Hey just riding around riding around on it

Hey you know I'm riding around

riding around on it. Hey!

The funeral service was a few days later

At a place down the street from where he had lived

There wasn't a hell of a turn out

He had never married and he never had kids

The coffin lid was open

Pat was lying inside

His sister had a picture of a poodle named Pepper

She put it in his hand and then she cried

Now I'm riding around in the city

Through the smog and the summer heat

And I'm blowing through all the red lights

I guess you could say I'm feeling lucky

And the taxis and the trucks

Everybody's blowin' their horns

And I got a bicycle bell to ring

And I got a notion to sing as I'm riding along

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Well I didn't even really know him at all

And I wonder can he see me

As I'm riding along

Riding along

The day that Pat was buried

The air was cold and clear

And we drove out to the cemetery

And snow flew around in the air

And a hired man from the State

He played taps on a coronet

And a flag was presented to his sister

For time in the service that Pat had spent

When he used to ride on the bike

Way back in 52

He was starting out a life

And the bike it was brand new

And life was laid before him like

a platter before a king

He was young and he was handsome

and the world was alive with meaning

The world was alive with meaning

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