Plastic Horses

Well, he was sitting on the sidewalk, Christmas Eve

All by himself with a brown bag drink

Oh, and a pocketful of plastic horses

I sat down next to him, it was the luck of the draw

It was snowing like hell, talking cats and dogs

That's when I saw them plastic horses

I said, "Hey man, what's the deal on that?"

He said, "I'll tell ya for a cigarette"

And soon as that Marlboro was lit

He said, I got a little girl in Carolina

She gave these plastic horses to me

But her mama says that I can't see her

Until I'm off these damn amphetamines

And it's been a long time since I've seen her smile

She thinks I'm long gone

But I'm still holding on to plastic horses

He said, I'd been carrying these toys for 20 years

And I can still see her face through all the tears

But she couldn't pick me out of a crowd

Oh, and I got some demons that I just can't beat

That's why I'm out here on this street

Can't be the man I need to be

He said, I got a little girl in Carolina

She gave these plastic horses to me

But her mama says that I can't see her

Until I'm off these damn amphetamines

And it's been a long time since I've seen her smile

She thinks I'm long gone

But I'm still holding on to plastic horses

Last thing that he said to me was he was fixing to get clean

In time for his daughter's birthday

One week later when I woke up

And I filled up my coffee cup

I opened the paper to the page

It read, there's a man found in Georgia

On the sidewalk New Year's Eve

He had a pocketful of plastic horses

And a picture of his daughter up his sleeve

And every now and then I think about him

And I know he's long gone

But I'm still holding on to plastic horses