This is three minutes of what it's like to grow up on Joy Road.
lyrics
CHORUS
These are the life and times
Of a simple boy
That grew into a man
Harping on days of yore
On a slanted field
Don't expect an even score
These are the streets of rage
These are my tears of Joy
VERSE 1
November 3rd
1982
I showed up on the scene
Thinkin everything's cool
Not sure if I had
Brighter eyes or a bushier tail
Should've known then
I was goin to hell
Oh well
Somebody should've told
My mom though
There is nothing to enjoy
About Joy Road
So when you see a ramp
That says exit nine…
You better keep drivin
But she didn't
So that's where we livin
And try to make a livin
You just type it
I live it
We all just
Attempt to win
Within this city's limits
But in this land of
Life and death
I thrive in the indifference
CHORUS
VERSE 2
I heard gunshots
And told myself
That they were fireworks
That's how I first learned
How a liar works
Folks were so broke
That I may retire first
4 bald wheels
Only fix the worst tire first
No cable
So I watched Jeopardy!
And it helped me understand
A myriad of brighter words
Which is how a writer works
Read a bunch of books
And plagiarize
All their prior works
I can read well
But never well read
I say I hate reading
Turn people's heads red
What they didn't know instead
Is I just had their
Minds read
I already had
All of mankind pegged
CHORUS
VERSE 3
I've had friends fight
I've had friends lie
I had friends die
From homicide
And suicide
I've had friends fail
I've had friends survive
I've had friends
Too afraid
To ride their bike outside
(repeats and fades out)
credits
from Tears of Joy,
released November 3, 2013
Lyrics by Rufio Jones
Produced by ILLingsworth
Cover photo by Jason Matthews