I used to go to Aquatic Park
And fish at the pier and catch kingfish and perch
I'd look off at the house boats in Sausalito
And think of my young life in Ohio
Fishing for catfish with my dad
I'd sometimes swim in the Ohio river
Scared of catfish rumored to be the size of men
When I was young, I didn't dream this far
The only bodies of water I knew were the Ohio river and my cousin's bass pond in Navarre
From the Aquatic Park pier
I took some of my best photos there
Pelicans and seagulls (Pelicans and seagulls)
Sailboats and barges (Sailboats and barges)
And many people (and many pеople)
My girlfriend and friends
And family mеmbers
And happy fisherman catching the rare seabass
And pulling up crab nets
Gather inside Aquatic Park
Ghirardelli ice cream
Fireworks Aquatic Park
And the Balclutha vessel boat
Tide pools out Aquatic Park
Mossy, slippery rocks
Moonlight at Aquatic Park at dawn
A few months ago, I was walking
Down Polk street to the bait shop
I walked down the cement stairs
Like I'd been doing for the last 38 years
The pier was empty and all locked up
With no explanation, the sign read "Keep out"
I stood there feeling glum and choked up
Thinking about my many lives and good times on the pier
Thinking about the parolees who spent all day there
Eavesdropping on their conversations about who their dentist was in San Quentin
Thinking about my many walks with my mother there
And how me and my dad never got a chance to fish there
And going to the pier used to make my day
It was like a friend I could depend on
Now going to the pier isn't the same
Now it feels like I'm visiting one of my best friend's graves
Now I just walk past it, over to the great meadows (over to the great meadow)
The home of the Phillip Burton statue (The Phillip Burton statue)
And watch the young (watch the young) San Franciscans (San Franciscans) barbecuing and having fun (having fun)
And thinking yeah I too, was once that young
Back then I didn't spend much time over there
I spent my time at the Aquatic Park pier
What will happen to the pier, will it crumble away?
Wasn't the opening scene of Dirty Harry the helicopter flying over the bay?
What will happen to the pier, will it dissolve and disintegrate?
It will always be my muse either way
Lyrics provided by LRCLIB
