"Happy New year," says the girl on the corner,
"Wouldn't know what I'd do without you, my love."
"Happy New Year," says the boy across the street
as he waits for the  man on the sign to turn from red to green.
"I'll be coming on over to you soon, my love."

And meanwhile, the construction crews set up shop,
place a new layer of tar under our shoes.
The girl waits at the corner, reads up on her New Year's news.

The crew blocks her view of her
boy by the light--
It's been hours now and she just can't wait all night.
So she turns, heads home,
pours herself some scotch,
only cure that works, blocks out the things she's lost
until the morning when she wakes
to the clock, singing "Noon!"

She goes down again, waits for the boy, 'cause he
said he'd be home soon.
"Happy New Year," she says, a year gone by now,
"I wouldn't know what to do without you, my love."