We Do What We Can

Downstairs they're playing Kenton The house set to swing I lay in my bed And listen to everything Cause Leo's in rare form tonight His trombone sings so sweet This is the room Where they all come to meet He said I do what I can I live for the moment And that's who I am Yeah that's who I am And isn't it good If we could freeze moments in time We all would But I do what I can I do what I can Downstairs he's playing Kenton The Magnavox sighs But oh how the music has changed In all of our lives He says "nobody listens To modern jazz" And I'll never have what those guys have He says I do what I can I work for a living And that's who I am Yeah that's who I am And it's good to be alive But everything's different since Leo died I do what I can Is this the end of the modern world What could it mean for a young girl Who sees the pain on his face He does what he can The procession on the TV screen What could it possibly mean for a man who's come this far just to turn around Could there still be life in Kenton's swing With the Kennedys gone and everything Those sad rows of houses with their optimistic colors Democrat grandparents and draft-dodging brothers Riots down the street and discontented mothers We do what we can Downstairs it's quiet Less alive somehow Somehow he was everything that I am now And he says I do what I can I work for a living And that's who I am And that's who I am But it's good to be alive And these are the choices We make to survive You do what you can