Walt Whitman's Niece Lyrics - Billy Bragg

Last night or the night before that 

I won't say which night 

A seaman friend of mine 

I'll not say which seaman 

Walked up to a big old building 

I won't say which building 

And would have not walked up the stairs 

Not to say which stairs 

If there had not been two girls 

Leaving out the names of those two girls 

I recall a door, a big long room 

I'll not tell which room 

I remember a deep blue rug 

But I can't say which rug 

A girl took down a book of poems 

Not to say which book of poems 

And as she read, I lay my head 

And I can't tell which head 

Down in her lap, and I can mention which lap 

My seaman buddy and girl moved off 

After a couple of pages and there I was 

All night long, laying and listening 

And forgetting the poems 

And as well as I could recall 

Or my seaman buddy could recollect 

My girl had told us that she was a niece 

Of Walt Whitman, but now which niece 

And it takes a night and a girl 

And a book of this kind 

A long long time to find its way back