This song was a bit strange from the moment the music and lyrics came together. I normally write lyrics before music and the lyrics for this one are really depressing. The music, however, is rather upbeat. Don't remember if there was motivation for this intentionally or not.
The song starts with a brief notice of a man committing suicide by hanging off the 59th Street Bridge (not feeling groovy). The remainder of the song talks about the minute which follows from the people who witness the event and how they deal with what they have witnessed.
60 seconds on 59th
Hector tests his slip knot on crossbeam 17
on the darker side of the 59th Street Bridge
Esmerelda Jones heads home in her ’83 Corrolla
Oblivious to the crosshairs on her hood
Funky Phil assumed a groovy staggered lamppost slalom
and spied a shadow perched akimbo on the iron tightrope
Slipping on the cobblestones a headlight bore down on him
Banshee tires scream to silence inches from his head
Hector will you take a flying leap through open air
Square yourself for impact as you wonder how to fly
Cry a sullen lullaby as flurries still the night
Frightened take a second breath while hair stands on your neck
Hold your eyes high happy people, don’t look down
‘cause a foul wind’s making troubled waters churn below
Colder skies are building up the mother of all storms
and I think that all our hopes are gonna drown
Charlie Graham from Birmingham torched the garbage can
and huddled shivering over tubed inferno
Heard the rubber squeal and the metal monster groaning
then someone slipping off the rail and falling into nothing.
Esmerelda held her breath while helping Phil erect
whereupon their awestruck gaze caught Hector tumble over
A wail rose from behind as Charlie overtook them
collapsing at the top of the human pendulum
Hold your eyes high happy people, don’t look down
‘cause a foul wind’s making troubled waters churn below
Colder skies are building up the mother of all storms
and I think that all our hopes are gonna drown
Footpatrolman Dan O’Shea saw the defeated silhouette
from the frozen headlights on the other side
Waxed in indecision watched the stark tableau unfold
as though he’d no position to intrude
Head over heels the horizon in tow
With the city lights spinning in ostinato
Illumination in streaked oscillation
Amorphus glow starts to slow down
Hector swayed with the melting wind and froze a final scene
The concrete tumblers locked within his sight
Esmerelda Jones withdrew into safe warm place
and never crossed the bridge again at night
Hold your eyes high happy people, don’t look down
‘cause a foul wind’s making troubled waters churn below
Colder skies are building up the mother of all storms
and I think that all our hopes are gonna drown