The Junk Of Marshall Dodge by Tim Sample Lyrics
I will, I'll do that
Thank you
Um some of you are aware of this piece that I wrote
A few months after Marshall Dodge's death
Um, of course during the period from 1958 to 1978 or so
There was about 20 years that Marshall
Almost single-handedly kept the image
Or the identity of Maine humor alive
In the hearts and minds of the Maine people
I um
Had the privilege to work with him for a number of years
It was cut short by a tragic automobile accident in Hawaii
But after that happened
I felt that I wanted to make some sort of a statement
Of how I felt
And how I felt other people felt
About what Marshall um had done to
To share his love of Maine people and Maine humor
Marshall was a truly selfless individual
In the sense that he was always willing to share
And more than willing but anxious
To promote and instigate creativity in other people
And to that end he was always giving away
And sharing books and records and posters and artifacts
And anything he thought would stimulate you to do something creative
He was more than willing to do that
And uh
One of the things that crossed my mind
On the phone from Miami to Hartford
On the day that, on to New York
On the day that I came up to Marshall's funeral
When I was writing this piece
Was that
What is going to happen to this great collection of
Crazy esoteric paraphanelia
That Marshall always seemed to gather wherever he went
And uh
As I thought about those things
I wrote this poem
I'd like to take
Your treasures and your junk
And load 'em on a boxcar
In nineteen steamer trunks
And get some played out engineer
With steam still in his veins
From a life of hauling folks and freight
From Boston up to Maine
And I'd stoke him with a vision
And I'd enlist him in my scheme
To run that train around the world
Distributing a dream
And should he chance to ask me
Who might want this old hodge-podge
I'd say this just ain't any junk my friend
Its the junk of Marshall Dodge
Now with every detail over-looked
And only grace to guide us
We'd steam across the continent
With Marshall's junk beside us
We'd run that train to every little town along the track
We'd stop and draw a crowd
With whistles, bells, and Union Jacks
And as they started gathering
Man and kids and ladies large
I'd shout into my megaphone
Step up folks there's no charge
Feel free to touch the merchandise
Its more than rummage off some barge
You know this just ain't any junk my friend
This is the junk of Marshall Dodge
Now with the help of my assistants
Just recruited from the crowd
I'd push a button on the floor
And bring the music up loud
They'd slap the bolts and the locks would slide
And them trunks would open wide
And men would peer and ladies crane
To see what lay inside
And from every musty leather trunk
We'd haul that treasured trash
Of posters, books, and records
And cuff-links that don't match
And silly poems and learned tomes
And works of art beyond compare
You know it would be such inspirational clutter
That the crowd could only stare
Don't just stand there folks I'd say
Help yourself this stuff is free
But on small stipulation, listen carefully
You're free to take
Whatever takes your fancy from this heap
But only if you understand
It isn't yours to keep
Its only yours to spread around
And share with friend and foe
If you can keep that promise
Why take something before you go
Like a book to send a relative
Who's homely as a stump
Or a bicycle built for two
To help your (?)
Or a tape machine to capture tales
Your Uncle Jasper tells
Or a boat that's called the Bluebird II
To skim across the swells
Or an anecdote to crack a smile
Across the sourest face
Or a pin to prick the pompous
And put them in their place
Its all free for the taking folks
Pick well or not at all
We've many hamlets yet to hit
Whilst circling this ball
And many folks along the way
In cities small and large
Who just like you
Will gawk and peek
And smile
When we tell 'em there's no charge
Cause this just ain't any junk
Its the junk of Marshall Dodge
Thank you very much
Thank you
Goodnight
God bless you
Thank you
Um some of you are aware of this piece that I wrote
A few months after Marshall Dodge's death
Um, of course during the period from 1958 to 1978 or so
There was about 20 years that Marshall
Almost single-handedly kept the image
Or the identity of Maine humor alive
In the hearts and minds of the Maine people
I um
Had the privilege to work with him for a number of years
It was cut short by a tragic automobile accident in Hawaii
But after that happened
I felt that I wanted to make some sort of a statement
Of how I felt
And how I felt other people felt
About what Marshall um had done to
To share his love of Maine people and Maine humor
Marshall was a truly selfless individual
In the sense that he was always willing to share
And more than willing but anxious
To promote and instigate creativity in other people
And to that end he was always giving away
And sharing books and records and posters and artifacts
And anything he thought would stimulate you to do something creative
He was more than willing to do that
And uh
One of the things that crossed my mind
On the phone from Miami to Hartford
On the day that, on to New York
On the day that I came up to Marshall's funeral
When I was writing this piece
Was that
What is going to happen to this great collection of
Crazy esoteric paraphanelia
That Marshall always seemed to gather wherever he went
And uh
As I thought about those things
I wrote this poem
I'd like to take
Your treasures and your junk
And load 'em on a boxcar
In nineteen steamer trunks
And get some played out engineer
With steam still in his veins
From a life of hauling folks and freight
From Boston up to Maine
And I'd stoke him with a vision
And I'd enlist him in my scheme
To run that train around the world
Distributing a dream
And should he chance to ask me
Who might want this old hodge-podge
I'd say this just ain't any junk my friend
Its the junk of Marshall Dodge
Now with every detail over-looked
And only grace to guide us
We'd steam across the continent
With Marshall's junk beside us
We'd run that train to every little town along the track
We'd stop and draw a crowd
With whistles, bells, and Union Jacks
And as they started gathering
Man and kids and ladies large
I'd shout into my megaphone
Step up folks there's no charge
Feel free to touch the merchandise
Its more than rummage off some barge
You know this just ain't any junk my friend
This is the junk of Marshall Dodge
Now with the help of my assistants
Just recruited from the crowd
I'd push a button on the floor
And bring the music up loud
They'd slap the bolts and the locks would slide
And them trunks would open wide
And men would peer and ladies crane
To see what lay inside
And from every musty leather trunk
We'd haul that treasured trash
Of posters, books, and records
And cuff-links that don't match
And silly poems and learned tomes
And works of art beyond compare
You know it would be such inspirational clutter
That the crowd could only stare
Don't just stand there folks I'd say
Help yourself this stuff is free
But on small stipulation, listen carefully
You're free to take
Whatever takes your fancy from this heap
But only if you understand
It isn't yours to keep
Its only yours to spread around
And share with friend and foe
If you can keep that promise
Why take something before you go
Like a book to send a relative
Who's homely as a stump
Or a bicycle built for two
To help your (?)
Or a tape machine to capture tales
Your Uncle Jasper tells
Or a boat that's called the Bluebird II
To skim across the swells
Or an anecdote to crack a smile
Across the sourest face
Or a pin to prick the pompous
And put them in their place
Its all free for the taking folks
Pick well or not at all
We've many hamlets yet to hit
Whilst circling this ball
And many folks along the way
In cities small and large
Who just like you
Will gawk and peek
And smile
When we tell 'em there's no charge
Cause this just ain't any junk
Its the junk of Marshall Dodge
Thank you very much
Thank you
Goodnight
God bless you