The lads from Liverpool, the King of Graceland,

the great stone face who introduced them

to the world on his "Really big shews" each Sunday night.

Presidents and Senators who wanted to be

but settled for being folk heroes

Jack, Bobby, LBJ, Clean Gene and.....Barry?

Things that are just things,

paper that fades, vinyl that wears,

metal that rusts, fame that just withers away.

General Knight and his troops from Buckner to Damon,

The Hoosier schoolboy legends from Richie to Bird.

"General Patton" when he rode the New York subway.

A G-man with a "Kookie" sidekick on the Sunset Strip (click, click).

Nichols, Darrell and Darrell,

Dobie, Zelda and Thalia (where's Maynard?)

Pa Cartwright, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe,

Danny Boy, Donna Reed and the Mavericks.

Shazam Gomer! Who are your friends?

And how can you sing like that?

The football coach in a dapper hat,

winning souls for the Lord and

football games for America's Team.

The hometown boys in blue and white,

a lot of little towns in their earlier days,

where people went to the movies,

bought a car and a tractor.

All those images gone in a flash,

like all cookie cutter trinkets.

They were things, just pictures and illusions

that existed on tape once a week.

Don't cry over things that can't cry over you.

But what if the things are images

of those who cried over someone?