Downstairs theyre playing Kenton
The house set to swing
I lay in my bed
And listen to everything
Cause Leos 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 thats who I am
Yeah thats who I am

And isnt it good
If we could freeze moments in time
We all would
But I do what I can
I do what I can

Downstairs hes 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 Ill never have what
those guys have

He says
I do what I can
I work for a living
And thats who I am
Yeah thats who I am

And its good to be alive
But everythings 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
Whos come this far just
to turn around
Could there still be
life in Kentons 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 its 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 thats who I am
And thats who I am

But its good to be alive
And these are the choices
We make to survive
You do what you can