It was the Kingston Trio sealed my doom
Playin real cool songs in real hip rooms
So I went lookin for my own hungry I
Where the cats were beat
St. Pete bye-bye
Plywood guitar
In a cardboard case
Black Diamond strings
No treble no bass
Hitchin rides down to Fort Lauderdale
Playin calypso nights
Out on the Tamiami Trail

For a while in Miami
All the songs I wrote were funny
Buffy St. Marie told me
She thought I'd make a lot of money
What did she mean by that?
Up in New York town
I auditioned for the Bitter End
Cat turned me down
Too hip

Hung out with Felix Pappalardi
Bless his soul
Did some gigs with John Sebastian
Pre rock 'n' roll
Worked with Steve Martin & Fred Willard
Real cool guys
Gabe Kaplan & Pat Paulsen
Likewise

(chorus)
Coffeehouse days
Gone too soon
Like the last day before school
Like the last summer afternoon
A coffeehouse is like a flower
It blooms and it dies
And these bittersweet coffeehouse days
They swiftly fly

George Carlin came to see me once
He said Michael outta sight
Richie Pryor said he liked me
Even though I was white
I hung out with Don Dimucci
Took lessons from Earl Klugh
Joni Mitchell ignored me
Hey she'd ignore you
Shelly Berman sat in the front row once
With a face like wood

But dig it man
I wrote six songs with Stevie Goodman
I worked this coffehouse once
With John Lee Hooker on board
I don't know man I didn't get it
He only played one chord
Over and over and over
Like no wonder this cat had the blues

(chorus)

Recorded on: Michael Margaret Pat & Kate