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The Hanoi Street Waltz

from Thinking Man's Blues by Stomperoo

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about

A jazz waltz inspired by the traffic of Hanoi, featuring Roo Friend (guitar/voice), Arlo Buble (drums) and Shaun Ballagh (flute)

lyrics

The Hanoi Street Waltz © 2016 Roo Friend APRA
Motorbikes come from all directions cars and buses and bicycles too
When you cross the street trust in your feet cos thinking could well be the end of you
Just walk straight out into the traffic don’t hesitate dodge or be scared
Don’t let courage fail ya It’s not like Australia No-one’s self-righteous and there’s no road rage

Everyone eyes front and step to the side, don’t try to fight it just flow with the tide
Of machines and humans in a river of life, you’re doing the Hanoi Street Waltz

When I was a boy in Australia I learnt “look right, look left, look right again… walk
cross if its safe use your eyes and your ears”, try that in Hanoi you’ll be waiting for years
Farewell to that sidewalk forever, farewell to any fear of the road
My crossing was safe, regulated by State, the green man the Glorious Leader I know
But Vietnamese anarchy reigns on these roads, there is no translation to their highway code
It’s sweet and it’s happy, individual as hell Proof that the communist system is well

Everyone eyes front and step to the side, don’t try to fight it just flow with the tide
Of machines and humans in a river of life, you’re doing the Hanoi Street Waltz

I used to be a brain dead pedestrian but a week in Hanoi woke me up from that dream
Now crossing the street is a challenge for feet and a rush to my brain of sweet adrenaline
That honking cacophony is music to me a soundtrack to a vehicular ballet
Motorbikes people and cars all plie while they’re doing the Hanoi Street Waltz

Everyone eyes front and step to the side, don’t try to fight it just flow with the tide
Of machines and humans in a river of life, you’re doing the Hanoi Street Waltz
you’re doing the Hanoi Street Waltz you’re doing the Hanoi Street Waltz

credits

from Thinking Man's Blues, released May 7, 2017
Roo Friend baritone hybrid guitar, vox
Shaun Ballagh flute
Arlo Buble drums
engineered and mixed by Arlo Buble
mastered by Don Grossinger New York
produced by Roo Friend

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

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Stomperoo Brisbane, Australia

Stomperoo, sideman to the famous, playing guitar music crossing over on blues, jazz, folk and funk, re-defining and de- constructing everything from divorce, property settlement, gardening and crop rotation to junk food, obesity, infants, terrorism, sex and traffic, in the style of Mose Allison, Georgie Fame, Tom Waits, and Arlo Guthrie. ... more

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