Charles Bukowski - The Man with the Beautiful Eyes lyrics

When we were kids there was a strange house
All the shades were always
Drawn and we never heard voices
In there and the yard was full of
Bamboo and we liked to play in
The bamboo pretend we were
Tarzan (although there was no
Jane) and there was a
Fish pond a large one
Full of the fattest goldfish
You ever saw and they were
Tame they came to the
Surface of the water and took pieces of
Bread from our hands
Our parents had told us:
"never go near that house"
So, of course, We went
We wondered if anybody lived there
Weeks went by and we never saw
Anybody

Then one day we heard
A voice from the house
"YOU GOD DAMNED wHORE!"

It was a man’s voice

Then the screen door
Of the house was flung open
And the man walked
Out he was holding a
Fifth of whiskey in his right
Hand he was about
30 he had a cigar
In his mouth
Needed a shave his hair was
Wild and and uncombed
And he was barefoot
In undershirt and pants
But his eyes were
Bright they blazed
With brightness
And he said, "hey little
Gentlemen, Having a good
Time, I hope?"
Then he gave a little laugh
And walked back into the
House

We left, Went back to my
Parents’ yard and thought
About it

Our parents, We decided
Had wanted us to stay away
From there because they
Never wanted us to see a man
Like that
A strong natural man
With beautiful
Eyes

Our parents were ashamed
That they were not
Like that man
That’s why they wanted us
To stay away

But we went back
To that house and the bamboo
And the tame goldfish
We went back many times
For many weeks but we never
Saw or heard
The man again

The shades were down
As always and it was
Quiet

Then one day as we came back from
School we saw the
House

It had burned down
There was nothing left
Just a smoldering twisted black
Foundation and we went to
The fish pond and there was
No water in it
And the fat orange goldfish
Were dead there
Drying out

We went back to my parents’ yard
And talked about it
And decided that our parents had
Burned their house down
Had killed them
Had killed the goldfish
Because it was all too
Beautiful, Even the bamboo
Forest had burned

They had been afraid of
The man with the beautiful
Eyes

And we were afraid
Then that
All throughout our lives things like that
Would happen
That nobody wanted
Anybody to be
Strong and beautiful
Like that, That
Others would never allow it
And that many people
Would have to die