When Arthur Hartstill came to town
we curled our hair the night before
told our men to shine their shoes
and gathered in the street at noon
we watched for Arthur’s black sedan
dark as night and twice as long
when he returned to our poor town
Arthur Hartstill spoke of kings
and places we could not pronounce
he gave us ladies silken things
and gave our men cigars and scotch
on days when Arthur Hartstill came
the sky was clear and royal blue
no cloud would dare to spoil the view
and no one knew quite what to say
when he arrived by taxi cab
and Arthur once so finely clad
now wore clothes like those we had
riches gone and fortune lost
no one smiled or shook his hand
or offered him a place to stay
a good hot meal a good stiff drink
the man we always thought we knew
traveled wide and met with kings
and now his shoes were scuffed and worn
his shirt was stained his jacket torn
no one knew quite what to think
and one by one we turned away
went to bed that night and dreamed
of silks and scotch and fine cigars
then twice as loud as it was long
at dawn we heard the sound and woke
and Arthur Hartstill on the floor
left our poor town to wonder things
what was his and what was ours
and how much better rich men sleep.