I caught the N-Judah heading towards downtown. I didn't even see the guy when I first got on. I was standing up reading my newspaper and I felt "the stare". The guy was about two feet in front of me and the train was crowded. I looked up and saw him looking right back at me. Rough looking, obviously homeless. "How ya doin?" I asked. No reply. He looked away. A good ten seconds later he says "Fine, thanks." Then he starts singing metal tunes. I couldn't tell you exactly what he sang but I knew by the high-pitched delivery and fantastic lyrics that it was 80s hair metal. He went off for a good five minutes or so, looking at people as he sang and gestured. Like I said, it was a crowded train, but people still found space to move away from him.
He kept looking at me while he was singing, so during a pause I asked him if he knew any Judas Priest. He hesitated. "You know," I said, "Hellbent, hellbent for leather!" That was all it took. For the rest of the ride downtown it was all about JP. Judas motherfuckin Priest.
About halfway through "Breakin the Law" he paused and a look of great pain came over his face. It was emotional pain, like he was going to start crying or something. "I can't..." he said, "I can't... No. No I can't." Look of pain again. "That's why I'm gonna drink this." And with that he pulled a tall can from his coat pocket and took a swig. Then he went right back into it. People kept moving and looking away. I did the only thing a person can do when a sad nutty drunk guy is singing you Judas Priest all the way to work on a Tuesday morning- I banged my head right along with him.
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