Some Kind of Hero

Carl was working for the railroad.
One day he had a date.
He didn't have a way to get there,
But he didn't want to be late.

“Carl, o Carl, mei-o-mei,”
You could hear the good people of Zeven say.
“He hi-jacked a train, o dear, no
He married the lady, go, Carl, go.
He's a little different, don't you know,
He's some kind of hero.”

Carl's no longer with the railroad,
Drives a taxi cab in town.
Drove a wedding party to the river,
But the ferry wasn't around.

“Carl, o Carl, mei-o-mei,”
You could hear the good people of Zeven say.
“He drove them in the river, o dear, no.
Then he pulled them all out, go, Carl, go.
He's a little different, don't you know,
He's some kind of hero.”

Winds of change blew over Zeven,
Over all of Germany.
First they came to burn the Temple,
Then for Max Wolff's family.

When they broke into their front door
They found an empty home
And no one noticed a taxicab
Speeding through the night, alone.

“Carl, o Carl, mei-o-mei,”
There were only whispers in Zeven that day.
While a ship left for Columbia
With the Wolffs who got away.
“Times are different, go, Carl, go,
Who would have thought of Carl as a hero?”

Winds of change kept on blowing
Towards different, better days.
But, for Carl, times got harder.
No one needed jokes or play.

He failed at most things good people do.
He's now in his grave, you know.
Said, “I can't do good for anyone,
It's my time to go."
“He was a little different,” so they say
When they talk about him to this day.
But in my book
Different is okay.

“Carl, o Carl, mei-o-mei,”
You still hear the people of Zeven say.
“He hi-jacked a train, o dear, no
He drove into the river, go, Carl, go.
He was a little different . . .”

And, Papa, may I tell you so
You still are
My kind of hero.

©  2005  Ingrid Heldt