Richard Shindell - Transit

It was Friday at five, and no one was giving an ^Cinch They squeezed and they edged and they ^Dglared ^CHalf of them clearly im^Dpaired by ^Crage or exhaustion The rest were just touchy as ^Bhell

The all-news station was thanking someone for the ^Ccall It's a van from St. Agnes' choir ^D There's a ^Cnun out there changing a tire ^D By the ^Ctime they got by her, tempers were out of con^Btrol ^Am

So they all hit the gas in a dash for position ^C Bobbing and weaving and flashing their high-beams ^Em

A ^Cwell-insured hoard, hell-bent on Saturda^By

Law and decorum constraining nary a ^Cone By then it was devil-may-care ^D Not a ^Cone even vaguely aware ^D That they had^C come all the way to the Delaware Water Gap ^{B Am}

But how had it happened? They had all missed their exits ^C How had it happened? Was it some kind of vortex? And ^Emin they all went, bumper to bumper ^CFaster and faster, no sign of a trooper And ^Gin they all went, like sheep to the slaughter ^DBankers and carpenters and doctors and lawyers And ^Emin they all went, families in minivans ^CDemocrats, Republicans, weekend militiamen They ^Gfollowed the river, and rounded the bend Between ^DMinsi and Tammany and into their destiny ^EmLying in ambush, right there before them The ^Cangry old sun right on the horiz^Bon

She said a quick prayer and put the old van into ^Cgear Thank god that the traffic was light^D If she ^Churried she might not be ^Dlate For that ^Cevening's performance at the state penitentiary ^{B Am}

She entered the common room and there was her choir ^C Altos and baritones, basses and tenors ^EmCar thieves and crack dealers, mobsters and murderers ^CHusbands and sons, fathers and brothers And ^Gso it began in glorious harmony ^DSoftly and tenderly calling for you and me ^Em

And the ^Csun going down through the bars of the prison They ^Gpoured out their souls, they poured out their memories ^D

To ^Emsister Maria, her soul like a prism ^C For the light of forgiveness on all of their faces