Finish Line - Lou Reed

Wind blows snow outside my windows

Crowd below runs wild in the streets

Two rented brothers race down two separate alleys

Heading for the finish line

Down in the train yard out by the stockyard

Butchers with aprons hack meat in the snow

Blood has the brothers pulsing with envy

Heading for the finish line

Two rented brothers.

Their faces keep changing

Just like these feelings I have for you

And nothing’s forever not even five minutes

When you’re headed for the finish line

Down in the depot out by the meat rack

Down by the tunnels surrounding the jail

Prisoners are marching in squares and in circles

They’re heading for the finish line

They’re lining up for Noah’s Ark

They’re stabbing each other in the dark

Saluting a flag made of some rich guy’s socks

Heading for the finish line

Close to the line the ice is cracking

Two rented feelings sitting in the stands

Two mothers, two fathers and both of them are paid for

All of a sudden it comes back to me

Just up ahead is the finish line

Two rented referees and two checkered rags

Out of the corner of my eye comes a dark horse with black wings

Headed for the finish line

I’m five years old the room is fuzzy

I think there’s also a very young girl

It’s hard to remember what happened exactly

As I’m staring at the finish line

First came fire then came light

Then came feeling then cane sight