East Orange, N.J.

Little story

The Minnesota Hotel Tape: Home of Bonnie Beecher, Minneapolis MN - 22.dec.1961  

First time I ever worked in East Orange, New Jersey
Folks, never go to East Orange, New Jersey, it's a horrible town.
I one had to play in a coffeehouse out there.
It was so bad, uh so bad,
People playing chess out there 
It's all they thought about was chess 'n' chess 'n' chess.
People come up to me
'You play a song, you play a real quiet song'
In the middle of the song ya hear "check"
And "Hey, that was a good move"
And all kinds of stuff like that.

Yes, folks, it was so bad I had a little dream out there
The first night I worked,
About this chess playing stuff.
I dreamed I went to work out in East Orange, New Jersey,
And, uh, about the time I quit in two days
I went there to ask the guy for my money,
"I worked two days for you"
He says, "Uh, well, ok, we don't pay money around here, though."
I say, "Uh, yeah?" he says, "Uh, well", he says, "Uh, we pay chessmen."
I said, "Uh, well, gimme my chessmen then. I worked for two days."
I was sort of, didn't really figure
I thought he was lying at first, but I took it anyway.
He gave me a king and a queen for working two days.
I says, "Uh, fine, that's ok"
So I took my king and queen, went down to a bar, the nearest bar I could find.

I walked in the bar and ordered a pint.
Down the bar, the bartender, I say, "Can I have a pint?"
I'll be damned, he give me a pint.
He asks me for the money,
I gave him my king and queen.
I'll be damned, he took that king and queen,
Threw it under the counter,
And brought me out four pawns, two bishops, and a rook for change.
Little story about East Orange, New Jersey. a href="#1">