A Lasting Place

Uh (Da, da, da, da-da-da) Uh Trouble in the one-six Yeah, trouble in the one-six-nine, uh (Da, da, da, da-da-da) Yeah, saying they don't want this (uh) Uh, saying they don't want this life (Da, da, da, da-da-da) Said Trouble in the one-six Yeah, trouble in the one-six-nine (Da, da, da, da-da-da) Yeah, saying they don't want this Come across this Check Life Uh, she see my father in me That's why she argue with me That's why they can't forgive me Uh, rock and a hard place Wearing a hard face Close the door, leave my house like I'm Scarface Yeah, sweet success that I can't taste Heard the bang, still finishing the last race Lapping me, a year ago, yo, they was clapping me Nobody told me that I'd lose it so rapidly I thought this was the kind of thing that goes gradually My hair line, the good guys I was glad to be Grim Reaper's catching me, yeah Yeah, it's like I work for him I'm being punished for the times that I would sin When I tried to do right, still I did the wrong thing Yo, I thought I was a king (Da, da, da, da-da-da) (Yeah, trouble in the one six) yeah, yeah (Uh, trouble in the one six) Yeah, trouble in the one-six-nine (Trouble in the one-six-ne, one-six-nine) Yeah, saying I don't want this life (Yeah, saying I don't) yeah, yeah (Yeah, saying I don't want this) (da, da, da, da-da-da) Yeah, saying I don't want this (say, uh) (Uh, say) saying they don't want this life What kind of man weeps at the feet of his wife in pain Holds up the pink and shrieking thing and feels the throb of time? What kind of man wraps a cloth around his waist And holds the baby to his chest Walks through the streets swaying like a drunk in the morning? What kind of man feels the rage of men And only swallows at his daughter's fists? What kind of man bends to hold them in their suffering In their questions, in their garbled turns of phrase? What kind of man admits his failures Turns over his heavy stones Stands at the feet of grief and wanting and does not turn away? What kind of man becomes a father, a lasting place? So how am I supposed to sum it up? Listen, this is what the summer does And I ain't losing any one of us, a mother's love Yeah, mother's love I know it isn't what it is, I wished it was The love is great Yeah, to raise the man that you hate Growing in the man that you make Uh, knowing if you plan your escape Then the next man's handed his fate They say that time waits for no man, uh (da, da, da, da-da-da) At least it didn't for my old man So fuck it, me and the Devil used to hold hands A slow dance through the city, through that cold sand I'm here all fucking week and ain't got no plans Was staring back at the reflections of a grown man (da, da, da, da-da-da) Staring back at the reflections of a grown man But I don't want to be an old man