Lyrics and Tapescripts

Supermarket Story. Missing my son.

I was in a line at a supermarket the other day, and I had all my things on the little conveyor belt there. And there's a gal in front of me that is staring at me and I'm getting a little nervous and she continues to stare at me. And I keep looking the other way. And then finally she comes over closer to me and she says, "I apologize for staring, that must have been annoying. I... You look so much like my son who died. I just can't take my eyes off you." 

And she proceeds to go into her purse and she pulls out a photograph of her son who died, and ... He looks absolutely nothing like me. In fact he's... Chinese. Anyway, we chatted a little bit. And she says, "I'm sorry, I have to ask you. Would you mind, as I leave the supermarket here, would you mind saying 'Goodbye mom' to me? I know it's a strange request but I haven't heard my son say 'Goodbye mom' to me in so long. It would mean so much to me to hear it" 

And I said, "Well, you know... okay. Yeah sure. I can say that." And so, she gets her groceries all checked out. And as she's going out the door, she waves at me and she hollers across the store, "Goodbye son!" And I look up and I wave and I say, "Goodbye mom!" And then she goes... 

So I get my few things there on the conveyor belt and the checker checks out my things. He gives me the total and he says, "That 'll be four hundred and seventy nine dollars". And I said, "Well, how is that possible?! I've only got a little tuna fish, and some skimmed milk, and mustard, and a loaf of bread." He goes, "Well, you're also paying for the groceries for your mother. She told me you'd take care of the bill for her." And I said, "Well, wait a minute! That's not my mother!" And he says, "Well, I distinctly heard her say as she left the store 'Bye son!' and you said 'Bye mom!' and so what are you trying to say here?"

I said, "Well, Jesus!" And I looked out into the parking lot and she was just getting into her car. And I ran out there. And she was just closing the door, and she had a little bit of her leg sticking out of the door as she was pulling away. And I grabbed her leg and I started *pulling* it! Just the way... I'm pulling yours.