"Picoesque," by Michelle Shocked

Across the street they're raising wolves
And it don't take much to make them cry
A fire truck or a car alarm
Police drive by with their sirens on
And suddenly they're running with the pack
And remembering the call of the wild
They cry ooo ooo

Pastor Leon, he's the neighbor to my right
Twice on Sunday and every week night
He cranks up the PA, his wife is the choir
And they start preaching like a house on fire
And then his wife gets happy and begins to shout
Allelujah Allelujah! and then they all fall out
They cry Allelujah! Glorio! Glorio de Dios!

Baby pull on your old Dan Posts
Fire up that old GTO
And take me on a little ride down Pico

Now you're riding down Pico Boulevard and for the first time
You notice how many churches
Foursquare Baptist Catholic Cathedrals
Buddhist Temples Synagogues Mosques
Keith Dominion COGIC Pentacost
Iglesias de Cristos Iglesias de Dios and the
Sweet (swear to God) Aroma of Jesus

Down by the hardware store men are pitching pennies
Or standing by the paint store dressed in white
Or waiting by their trucks to hire for haul
Or collecting cans in shopping carts
Or carrying guitars and accordions
Into cantinas and restaurants

Or selling onramp oranges or offramp roses
Or ringing bells for 'paletas' 'raspados'
Or standing by a pay telephone
With a baby carriage and a beeper on
With last night's sermon still ringing in my ear
Allelujah! Allelujah! Don't despair....