BALTIMORE ORIOLE

My pop used to tell us the names of birds
My pop used to tell us the names of birds
When he was around now
Around now

My pop was a carpenter off the books
My pop was a carpenter off the books
He didn’t pay now
His tax now

He made us a house with his own two hands
He made us a house with his own two hands
I didn’t understand then
What I know now

A cowbird
An oriole

My papa left this world in a car on the road
My papa left this world in a car on the road
I was driving now
He yelled look out now

We woke up in a ditch with a crowd around
We woke up in a ditch with a crowd around
And a truck now
In his window

If I had a gun I would have shot them down
If I had a gun I would have shot that crowd
Because they stared now
They stared now

Headlights
A loud sound

Papa was moaning I gotta get out
Papa was moaning I gotta get out
I got out now
Out the way now

It was hard to move because my body hurt
It was hard to move because my body hurt
But I had to
For pa now

The fire trucks came and they dragged him out
The fire trucks came and they dragged him out
Out my side now
My side now

Slow mo
Distorted voices

They put fire coats all around our shoulders
They put fire coats all around our shoulders
To keep us warm now
Us warm now

They kept us away and ripped off his clothes
They kept us away and ripped off his clothes
Said he’ll be okay now
Okay now

I spun around in one spot and looked at the sky
I spun around in one spot and looked at the sky
And screamed why
Why now

Spinning
Flying apart

Juge sat on the bumper of a fire truck
Juge sat on the bumper of a fire truck
I screamed now
I screamed now

I was screaming like mad because I broke his heart
I was screaming like mad because I broke his heart
It was me now
Me now

They strapped us to boards and they took us away
They strapped us to boards and they took us away
Without our pa now
Our pa now

Hard boards
Skull back

We got to the hospital and asked and asked
We got to the hospital and asked and asked
Where’s our pa now
Our pa now

They just kept lying right to our face
They just kept lying right to our face
He’s okay now
Okay now

They stitched us up and took us inside
They stitched us up and took us inside
To a room now
A room now

White walls
Knowing

A doctor came in and he stammered and stuttered
A doctor came in and he stammered and stuttered
It’s the hardest thing he’s had to do now
To do now

I cut him off and I finished his thought
I cut him off and I finished his thought
Because we knew now
How could we not know

He cried on his knees and he told us how brave
He cried on his knees and he told us how brave
He thought we were now
We were now

Stone face
Guard up

The people in the truck came into the room
The people in the truck came into the room
They were nice now
So nice now

They said don’t you worry we don’t need no money
Said don’t you worry don’t need no money
We’re just sorry now
For you boys

The rest of that day and the next one too
The rest of that day and the next one too
We heard you’re brave now
So brave now

Empty
Big quiet

We got in the shower, let the water come down
We got in the shower, let the water come down
It was warm now
Warm now

They told us not to rub because of the glass
They told us not to rub because of the glass
So we stood now
We just stood now

The blood ran down and our minds did too
They haven’t come back they’re still on that floor
In Carolina now
South Carolina

Shower floor
Carolina

We laid in our beds and we watched the game
We laid in our beds and we watched the game
It was basketball
On TV now

I was really amazed that nothing had changed
Really amazed that nothing had changed
And they could play now
Just play now

The entire room tried to squeeze in my head
The entire room tried to squeeze in my head
Like a buzz now
Like static

Good bed
Remote control

The next day was sunny and we went outside
The next day was sunny and we went outside
To hang around now
To wait around now

We went to the driveway and sat on a bench
We went to the driveway and sat on a bench
And we cried now
We cried now

The hanging moss and the big empty air
The hanging moss and the big empty air
And our old lives gone now
For good now

In one second
Final

In an instant
A new one

When someone goes everything is the same
When someone goes everything is the same
On the outside
And all around now

But on the inside you get so big
But on the inside you turn so big
You’re never ending
Like outer space now

Your insides outer space where you float around
Your insides outer space where you float around
And float away now
Away now