Plastic Horses

Well, he was sittin' on the sidewalk, Christmas Eve
All by himself with a brown-bag drink
Oh, and a pocketful of plastic horses
I sat down next to him, it was the luck of the draw
It was snowin' like hell, talkin' cats and dogs
That's when I saw them plastic horses

Said, "Hey, man, what's the deal on that"
He said, "I'll tell you for a cigarette"
Soon as that Marlboro was lit

He said, "I got a little girl in Carolina
She gave these plastic horses to me
But her mama says that I can't see her
Until I'm off these damn amphetamines
And it's been a long time
Since I've seen her smile
She thinks I'm long gone
But I'm still holdin' on
To plastic horses"

Said, "I've been carryin' these toys for 20 years
And I can still see her face through all the tears
But she couldn't pick me out of a crowd
Oh, and I got some demons that I just can't beat
That's why I'm out here on this street
Can't be the man I need to be"

He said, "I got a little girl in Carolina
She gave these plastic horses to me
But her mama says that I can't see her
Until I'm off these damn amphetamines
And it's been a long time
Since I've seen her smile
She thinks I'm long gone
But I'm still holdin' on
To plastic horses"

Last thing that he said to me
Was he was fixin' to get clean
In time for his daughter's birthday
One week later when I woke up
And I filled up my coffee cup
I opened the paper to the page

It read there's a man found in Georgia
On the sidewalk, New Year's Eve
He had a pocket full of plastic horses
And a picture of his daughter up his sleeve
And every now and then
I think about him
And I know he's long gone
But I'm still holdin' on
To plastic horses