Poem of the Day

No, I'm not starting a new feature. But for some reason, as I was listening to my new Fountains of Wayne album, the lyrics to the song "New Routine" struck me as being really good. Maybe it was the clever word play or the unique rhymes or the story. Or maybe it was because it mentions Carl Reiner who once ate dinner at the next table over from me at a restaurant and also mentions Roanoke, which is near my hometown. I'm not an English major, but I think the lyrics here are really good.

New Routine written by Adam Schlessinger and Chris Collingwood

Two men sit in the corner of a diner
Both of them look quite a bit like Carl Reiner
One of them is smoking even though the sign says not to
The waitress says to stop, he says sorry but I've got to
They tell each other jokes that they both know that they both know
They talk about real estate, prostates, Costco
And when they finish up they leave a twenty on the table
The waitress picks it up with their half-eaten bagels
And when her shift is over she goes back to Mineola
Sits on the couch, opens up a diet cola
and says

I'm so, I'm so sick of this place, I'm so ready for a change of pace,
I'm just looking for a new routine
So she spins her globe and the next thing you know
She's living in Liechtenstein

She doesn't speak German, only high school Spanish
But within a few weeks she discovers she can manage
But there's not much going on except for banking and skiing
So she breaks up with the man that she just started seeing
He drops her at the airport in a diesel Mercedes
Thinks to himself I'm so feeble with the ladies and I

I'm so, I'm so sick of this place
I'm so ready for a change of pace
I'm just looking for a new routine
So he grabs his cap
Throws a dart at a map and
now he's living in Bowling Green

He talks his way inta
a job at La Quinta
Falls for the manager
Who's moving back to Canada
She's tried Roanoke, Rekjavik, Rome
Says you're really sweet but I just want to go home

Two men sit in the corner of a diner
One of them says I might take a trip to China
Its one of those things we should do before we're too old
Thanks but no thanks, bring me back an egg roll
Bring it back

I think it stands up well on its own, but here's the song. Give it a listen.

New Routine by Fountains of Wayne (click to listen)