Songwriting Diary: The Waitress In Her Place And Time
A series about my lyrics and their backstories
I recently released a new song called ‘The Waitress In Her Place and Time’. You can find it on Bandcamp now, and on Spotify or other streaming platforms March 18th.
Here are some of the stories that inspired the lyrics.
There are no two front doors alike in the neighbourhood where I live. In fact, each building has a unique style of its own, seemingly formed at the whim of the builder. The non-conformity is striking. It’s a perfect reflection of the diversity of people and communities here.
The layout of the streets is interesting as well. Some of them run on diagonal lines into cul-de-sacs and some are marred with abrupt corners and odd intersections.
There are tiny parks sprinkled along these streets. Some parks are only big enough for a tree, a bench and a cobblestone walk. They are usually empty. They are parks where ghosts sometimes sit. Each park has a garbage can with some trash indicating someone must’ve been there. Or perhaps simply passed by. There’s a lonely charm of these mini-parks tucked in and hidden away amongst the houses.
This neighbourhood was once called Eastview and before that, Janeville. There are still hints of Eastview in the names of churches and the like, but from what I can tell the only sign of Janeville that’s left is a park. I imagine that must be where the Janeville ghosts gather.
Rumour has it Jane was a farmer when this area was farmland many years ago. When farmers needed to get to Ottawa’s Byward Market to sell their wares, they had to cross the bridge over the Rideau River. The city made them pay a toll. But Jane had a bridge on her own land and let the farmers cross for free. I like to think Jane was sticking it to the man.
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“The waitress in her place and time will get us coconut pie”
There’s a popular greasy spoon in my neighbourhood that has been a fixture since the 1960s. There’s a chalkboard that pronounces one of the owners of the family-run business has been making pizzas there for 56 years.
The restaurant has a cemented-in clientele. So much so, the owners don’t bother with a liquor license. The place is always full and the famous pizza flies out the door each day, starting around 11 in the morning. I’ve spoken to people who make special trips across the city for the pizza. Out of town, even.
Before the pandemic, the place would open at the crack of dawn for breakfast and the working crowds would roll in. And if you got there before 10am, the eggs, bacon and coffee were on special.
The restaurant logo is a cartoon chef holding a pizza and it looks like it was drawn by a grade schooler. I saw a guy picking up his pizza one day and noticed he had the cartoon chef tattooed on his arm. Hardcore fan, I thought to myself.
The waitresses bustle and are always pleasant. If you go there regularly, they will call you by name. And when you slip into the bright orange booths inside, you may notice the giant coconut pies on display, tempting you for dessert. After pizza, your waitress will ask you if you want some of that pie. Sometimes she won’t take no for an answer and ask you twice.
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“The bad guys on my street outrun the bored-ass city cops”
A small crowd gathered at the end of my street as some guy went jogging by, his light blue jacket flailing behind him as he ran. Two city police officers were running after him. It looked like the cops hadn’t been running much lately, so the light blue jacket guy was outpacing them pretty easily. One cop grabbed her shoulder walkie-talkie while running and was trying to radio someone about the pursuit. Maybe she was requesting some personal help, as she looked really winded. It was like watching a slow motion marathon. I also suspected the police weren’t giving up the chase because they wanted to put on a show for the gathered crowd. It’s important to keep up appearances in these situations. I wondered what the guy did to attract such a questionable burst of energy from the police. I also wondered what happened to their car. The people on the street were smiling and laughing which confirmed no one was in any sort of imminent danger.
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“The girl in the Santa hat took her time buying Lotto Max”
My Dad loved to play the lottery and kept up his buying routine, even when he was deathly sick in the hospital. He had his favourite numbers that he played religiously. I don’t think he ever expected to win, but he did have a saying: “You can’t win if you don’t play”. He’d say his mantra matter-of-fact and go about his gambling business. He spoke the truth, even if the astronomical odds of winning the lottery would suggest you shouldn’t bother. Since his passing, I buy a lottery ticket each week in his memory. I still haven’t won anything big, but it’s a fun little gambling routine that I’ve inherited and made into a weekly tradition. I could win, because I play.
I was in line at the local grocery store to grab a ticket when I noticed one of my neighbours in front of me wearing a Santa hat. He’s a loud little fella, so I can usually hear him a few houses away when he’s fired up. He holds court with other locals and they all share stories while puffing on cigarettes. He likes to sit on his front smoking porch and engage any passersby in conversation. I asked him why he was wearing a Santa hat in November. “You’re getting started early”, I said in a friendly, small-talky way knowing I had a few moments to kill there in line. He replied in his booming voice, “It goes so quickly you know. And before you know it, it’ll be gone. So I’m taking full advantage of my time to be festive”.
His point about ‘taking full advantage of my time’ resonated.
It is something we all should do.
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Lyrics:
I don't feel anything at all
And just missed everything you said
The waitress in her place and time
Will get us coconut pie.
The bad guys on my street
Outrun
The bored-ass city cops
And their guns
My neighbours standing by
Hold their breath
And know there’s nothing there
To regret
Believe in anything you want
Believe in anything you see
I can't help think that you might find
Something good enough in me.
The girl in the Santa hat
Took her time
Buying lotto max
With her wine
I dug that festive look and her cheer
You don't see that this time of year
Believe in anything you want
Believe in anything you see
I can't help think that you might find
Something good enough in me
Believe in anything you want
Believe in anything you see
Another trip around the sun
Is waiting there for you and me.
