261.3, as the highway flies,
247.7 from home.
It ain’t that far,
three-four on the road,
to get there.
Course, Joplin was only 60.6 when the storms hit,
‘n we drove threw awe-struck at the destruction,
but it don’t feel so close to home.
‘n there’s so much that ain’t right with this system,
I ain’t keen ’bout how those loans work,
I think credit’s nothin’ but a slick long-con,
‘n I got that fresh-out-a-college cynicism on this whole captitalism schtick,
but ain’t one of those things fired tear gas at children,
accident or no,
there’s “ain’t right” ‘n then there’s this.
‘n you can bet I’m gettin’ pissed.
damn right I’m gettin’ pissed.
Fuckin’ Alaskan winters can’t come fast enough,
that lean athletic husky curled by the fire,
‘n the knowledge that I, I gave up on all this.
’cause there’s “ain’t right” ‘n then there’s this.
‘n this, ain’t worth nothin’ but gettin’ pissed,
‘n I ain’t for makin’ villains of saints,
‘n I ain’t for layin’ blame,
but where I come from, those wearin’ the riot gear are trained to keep control of *themselves*,
‘n I ain’t from too far away.
261.3, as the highway flies,
‘n 247.7 from home.
‘n when my grandfather was in the academy,
he didn’t get a tool ’til he knew what it felt like to be hit,
‘n he didn’t know a recruit who’d not think twice ’bout usin’ ’em.
‘n it ain’t, it ain’t like protests are somethin’ new,
‘n it ain’t like somethin’ like this ain’t happened before,
Boston Massacres aren’t dredge deep in our history,
ain’t a kid who don’t hear ’bout it in schools,
‘n I ain’t seen evidence to say this is different.
there’s “ain’t right” ‘n then there’s this,
‘n damn right they’re pissed,
damn right they’re pissed.
a bottle ain’t a gunshot,
‘n a surrender ain’t an attack.
I don’t know who’s right,
but I know it shouldn’t have come to {this},
‘n that, that ain’t got a thing to do with the protests.
