Sideman

By Paul Muldoon

I’ll be the Road Runner

To your Wile E Coyote

I’ll take you in my stride

I’ll be a Sancho Panza

To your Don Quixote

Your ever faithful guide

I’ll stand by you in the lists

With our market strategists

I’ll be your sideman, baby,

I’ll be by your side

I’ll be a Keith Richards

To your Mick Jagger

Before he let things slide

I’ll be Sears to your Roebuck

Before he took the headstaggers

And opened nationwide

I'll support you at Wembley

I may require some assembly

But I'll be your sideman, baby,

I'll be by your side

I’ll be McCartney to your Lennon

Lenin to your Marx

Jerry to your Ben &

Lewis to your Clark

Burke to your Hare

James Bond to your Q

Booboo to your Yogi Bear

Tigger to your Pooh

Trigger to your Roy Rogers

Roy to your Siegfried

Fagin to your Artful Dodger

I guess I’ll let you take the lead

(guitar solo)

I’ll be a Chingachgook

To your Leatherstocking

A blaze of fur and hide

Our shares consolidated

Our directorates interlocking

I’ll be along for the ride

I’ll be at Ticonderoga

I’ll be there for you at yoga

I’ll be your sideman, baby,

I’ll be by your side

Copyright Credit: Paul Muldoon, "Sideman" from General Admission. Copyright © 2007 by Paul Muldoon. Reprinted by permission of The Gallery Press.

Source: General Admission (The Gallery Press, 2007)