Jill Sobule

The Secretive Life

Jill Sobule


A crack in the door
A slit in the vines
A hole in the fence
So easy to find.

People doing people things
Whatever that might be
They go on about their business
Too wrapped up to see
In the shadows,
My unblinking eye, 
I love the secretive life

I hide in the park
Behind a bush
I see runners and skaters 
And a half naked man 
Showing off his tattoos

And I see old Mr. Gray 
With his bad toupee
With some dumb girl about half his age

People doing (definitely not his wife) people things
Are calling out to me
They're so funny I could almost cry
I love the Secretive Life

There's Johnny's dad 
On his third martini
And his nose is getting bigger 
As I watch through the kitchen window
They really oughta close those blinds

And under my coat 
I got a micro-recorder, 
A pad, and a pencil, 
And a picture of you
I can't believe you did that

I see two love birds walking by 
With that sick and dreamy 
Look in their eye

And there's a big fat cop 
With a Magnum mustache
Trying so hard to look mean

People doing 
(But he doesn't see that man across the street) 
People things
(Stealing a bicycle)
Whatever that may be
They may look in my direction
But they never see
In the shadows my unblinking eye
I love the Secretive Life

You know what'll happen 
If you're mean to me
I'll write it all down 
For everyone to see
And I'll put it in a song 
And I won't change your name
I got no shame