You never know, you never can tell...

The moment I heard on the radio about the pipe explosion in Manhattan, I was worried that friends and strangers were traumatized by the possibility of a terrorist attack. Here's a well-told account about that event. Despite how scary this must have been, this young woman apparently handled the situation with as much grace as she could. I raise a glass to her.

In a way, this reminds me of the blackout a few years ago. Granted it wasn't the same thing as how cataclysmic and terrifying the explosion must have seemed, but consider ow an extended blackout in the New York area must have caused a very strong idea of uncertainty and unease. At the time, George was at Be Sharp Studio in Astoria with Slau recording what would become the album Coelacanth. Suddenly, while in the middle of something in the studio, everything powered down. He wrote Lights Out about the experience.


Lights Out
by George Hrab

Lights out- I don't know what it was but it was

Expecting the worst, when we heard about it first
50 million breathe a sigh of relief and jokingly
sing a song from South Park
The boat we're in's the same, putting faith in the cane
He runs down the stairs while we grope the hallway
the advantage is all his

Lights out- I don't know what it was but it was

Three stories every hour, six to eight after full power
Moet and Ben and Jerry on a stoop with old friends,
we'd never met before
Shuffling to the park, street semaphore in the dark
The big metal dog barks knowingly from the top of the big metal bridge

Watching all the buildings Where the hell is Mars
Shadows cross the river First time she's seen stars

You never know, you never know, you never know, you never can tell

A truck and a bus and a car, melting ice outside the bar
The biggest block party in history with no curfew and no last call
Waiting for the dawn, philosophizing on the lawn
We talk about god and we argue 'bout god
and we laugh about god and we laugh about god
and we laugh

Watching all the buildings Where the hell is Mars
Shadows cross the river First time she's seen stars

Lights out- I don't know what it was but it was
You never know, you never know, you never know, you never can tell