Eine kleine cementmusik

They've been working on our street and sidewalks for weeks now, tearing up the old ones and laying down new ones. The noise has been constant, but it's okay -- that's what backyards and headphones are for. The job is nearing its end; a big truck like the one shown above has just pulled up in front of our house. The workmen have been toiling like mad in unseasonable midsummer-type heat and humidity, and I feel for them; hence this small musical tribute by Slim Gaillard, abetted by bassist Bam Brown. This record was a minor hit in the 1940s. As kids we tried to sing it and sound like Slim and Bam, but we couldn't duplicate their unique brand of verbal nihilism.