M.C. Frontalot - Stoop Sale [tekst, tłumaczenie i interpretacja piosenki]

I nearly blew right by in my hurry to the subway
When I heard someone say, “Isn’t autumn lovely?”
And as I stopped to observe that this was correct
To the proprietor, I couldn’t help but inspect
The folding table by the railing laden with her goods:
Ashtrays made of metal; little angels made of wood;
Hand mirror with the handle broken (still pretty nice);
Wall-wart to charge a telephone; trays to make ice
The advice of my neighbor, “Go ahead, take your time
We’ll negotiate price on whatever you find.”
And then shining in the detritus, I saw the brightest
Flash of something precious. I began to feel the slightest
Little tingle in my innards. I was like, “What’s that?”
Then her bare-tooth chuckle, “It’s a buckle for a strap
On a hat, like a lady wears to court or church
But it holds a special property. I’ll tell you how it works.”

[Hook]
It was a stoop sale
Which is a garage sale if you live in Brooklyn
Which I do
And at the stoop sale
Which is like a yard sale except that it’s in Brooklyn
I got my due

Somehow I knew she was serious. I reached to pick it up
But she stayed my hand. Her reprimand, it was abrupt
“This little trinket,” she said, “grants wishes
It can make everything you ever eat delicious
It can take away concern so you can sleep at night
Can make the love of your life and you reunite
Can right wrongs done in your past or in your future
Make a winner out of whoever whoever owns it roots for
But it only ever does one thing
As you take possession of it, that’s the wish to which it clings
So choose very carefully before we make a deal
If there’s anything impossible you want to make real
If there’s anything improbable you’d like to assure
It will happen. And that’s when you have to endure
The regret that accompanies said decision-making:
All the other wishes in the world that you’ve forsaken.”

[Hook]

Could it be true? I wondered as I stared at the clasp
Would some skills on the microphone be too much to ask?
Had a couple dark notions that involved revenge
Fame, glory, money, people love me and it never ends
Shook these from my head like they were so much sleep
And thought instead I’d pretend that I was so much deep
As to offer every human in the world true peace
So that we never kill each other, never get cooties
Never go hungry, suffer shelterlessness
This generosity I felt compelled to dismiss
By my greed to see an old friend back living
If I go the wrong direction, though, could I ever be forgiven?
While I stood daydreaming, somebody’d got a hold
Of this little brass buckle, and he must have been so bold
As to put it in his pocket without it getting bought
Saw him do it. He was wishing that he wouldn’t get caught

[Hook]