Zoom w a View PT 4: Outside the Workshop

Frosty images.










Five pictures from five snaps. I knew I could do it.

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More Zoom w a View right here.

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Another Hit Single: Life in the Great Big City

Backgrounder: “I wrote this one so long ago I can’t recall if there was an incident I was witness to (or involved in) that prompted me to write this brilliant piece. However, after listening to a CBC Radio program yesterday re behaviours that occur on Toronto’s mass transit system I thought I’d dust it off.” gaharrison

Life in the Great Big City

1. My first trip to the city, got off the train,
Two guys said, “Can you spare a dime?”
I bent right down to open my pack,
Woke up next day flat on my back.
A policeman said, “Don’t look for pity!
Welcome to life in the great big city.”

Chorus:

Well, I lost my pants and my underwears,
I got roughed up, thrown down some stairs.
I lost my watch, some hard-earned money,
I’m almost naked, it ain’t even funny.
Policeman said, “Don’t look for pity!
Welcome to life in the great big city.”

Three more verses and more brilliant lyrics at this location.

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If I didn’t live in The Village, I’d live downtown

I really like the downtown.

My wife and I started out together in a cheap apartment in SE London in 1970, and when opportunity knocked one year later we moved downtown, across from City Hall.


["Across from City Hall": photo GAH]

Who knew it would be so exciting?

I love Victoria Park. Had it to myself while jogging at 7 a.m. before breakfast and driving off to school in 1971-73. I loved walking out the door on weekends and shopping for groceries at the Dominion store (York and Wellington) five minutes (count ‘em), five minutes away.


["David's first birthday; Gord w bad haircut": March, 1971]

I hated it when our new Gendron baby carriage was stolen from the YMCA. Not the current Downtown YMCA. I mean the original downtown YMCA on Wellington, north of Dundas. The one that burned down in a blaze of terrible glory.

I hated that I could barely see PM Trudeau from my balcony, as he escaped his body guards at the corner of Wellington and Dufferin, during a rare visit to Deforest City, and took a run for it in order to shake hands with the common man, none more common than me.


["Two Dave's I know; my son and his uncle, D. Tamblyn, formerly w OCEAN": photo GAH]

I’m now happy as a clam in The Village, a 15 minute walk from the JLC, 25 from City Hall (yeah, I checked).

But if my neighbours boot me out of my lovely cottage (plus wee workshop - it’s heaven) because they’re finally tired of constantly hearing the strains of Dylan (or my weak attempts at delivering a hit single) drift through my open windows, I’ll land downtown.

Downtown - as long as my wife gives the thumbs up.

Yeah, two people live in my... our house.

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