[ti:The Best Of Times]
[ar:Sage Francis]
[al:]
[00:-2.00]Sage Francis - The Best Of Times
[00:-1.00]
[00:00.00]
[00:30.65]It's been a long and lonely trip but
[00:32.16]I'm glad that I took it because it was well worth it.
[00:34.56]I got to read a couple books and do some research
[00:36.94]Before I reached my verdict.
[00:38.38]Never thought that I was perfect.
[00:39.94]Always thought that I had a purpose.
[00:41.82]Used to wonder if I'd live to see my first kiss.
[00:44.55]
[00:45.95]The most difficult thing I ever did
[00:47.51]Was recite my own words at a service
[00:49.56]Realizing the person I was addressing probably
[00:51.88]Wasn't looking down from heaven.
[00:53.95]Or cooking up something in hell's kitchen
[00:56.25]Trying to listen in or eaves drop
[00:57.78]From some another dimension.
[00:59.27]It was self serving just like this is.
[01:00.94]
[01:01.57]Conveniently religious on Easter Sunday and on Christmas.
[01:05.25]The television went from being a babysitter to a mistress.
[01:08.97]Technology made it easy for us
[01:10.85]To stay in touch while keeping a distance
[01:12.91]'Til we just stayed distant and never touched.
[01:15.03]Now all we do is text too much.
[01:16.48]
[01:16.99]I don't remember much from my youth.
[01:18.72]Maybe my memory is repressed.
[01:20.57]Or I just spent too much time
[01:21.82]Wondering if I'd live to have sex.
[01:23.97]Fell in love for the first time in 4th grade
[01:26.41]But I didn't have the courage to talk to her.
[01:28.46]In 8th grade I wrote her the note
[01:30.01]But I slipped it in someone else’s locker.
[01:31.71]
[01:32.19]Considered killing myself 'cause of that.
[01:34.09]It was a big deal.
[01:35.01]It was a blown cover.
[01:36.13]It was over for me.
[01:37.32]My goose was cooked.
[01:38.25]Stick a fork it me.
[01:39.12]The jig is up.
[01:40.07]I blew my chances the rest is history
[01:42.03]Our future was torn asunder.
[01:43.58]It became abundantly clear that
[01:44.99]I was only brought here to suffer.
[01:46.59]
[01:47.47]At least I didn't include my name.
[01:49.10]Thankfully I wrote the whole note in code
[01:51.07]And it had 10 layers of scotch tape safety
[01:53.11]Seal making it impossible to open.
[01:55.34]Plus it was set to self destruct.
[01:57.13]Whoever read it probably died…laughing.
[01:59.44]I wonder if they lived long enough
[02:00.89]To realize what happened.
[02:01.92]
[02:02.94]A year later I came to understand that
[02:05.14]Wasn't love that I was feeling for her.
[02:07.15]I had someone else to obsess over.
[02:09.08]I was older. I was very mature.
[02:11.30]I forged my time signature
[02:12.95]While practicing my parents autograph
[02:14.82]Cause I was failing math.
[02:16.03]Disconnected the phone when
[02:17.19]I thought the teacher would call my home.
[02:18.78]
[02:19.21]I checked the mailbox twice a day
[02:20.91]At the end of a long dirt road.
[02:22.67]Steamed open a couple envelopes like
[02:24.68]I was in private detective mode.
[02:26.54]If you snoop around long enough
[02:28.03]For something in particular
[02:29.56]You're guaranteed to find it.
[02:31.01]For better or worse that's how I learned that
[02:33.12]It's best to just keep some things private.
[02:34.63]
[02:36.57]It was the best of times.
[02:40.93]It was the end of times.
[02:42.28]
[02:49.04][02:45.23]It was the best of times.
[02:51.07][02:47.17]It was the end of times.
[02:51.68]
[02:52.18]Best of times end of times
[02:54.13]I was always on deck I was next in line.
[02:56.19]An only child with a pen and pad writing a list of things that
[02:59.19]I could never have.
[03:00.19]The walls in my house were paper thin.
[03:02.00]Every squabble seemed to get deafening.
[03:04.09]If my memory serves me correctly
[03:05.85]I made it a point to void and forget some things.
[03:08.01]Probably to keep from being embarrassed.
[03:10.00]Never meant to upset or give grief to my parents.
[03:12.06]Kept my secrets…hid my talents…
[03:13.94]in my head never under the mattress.
[03:15.73]
[03:16.52]Therapy couldn't break me.
[03:17.82]Never learned a word that would insure safety.
[03:19.68]So I spoke softly and I tip toed often.
[03:22.18]The door to my room was like a big old coffin.
[03:24.15]The way that it creeked when I closed it shut.
[03:26.22]Anxieties peaked when it opened up.
[03:28.01]As if everything that I was thinking would be exposed.
[03:30.48]I still sleep fully clothed.
[03:31.88]
[03:33.87]It was the best of times.
[03:35.39]
[03:40.19]It was beautiful.
[03:41.13]It was brutal.
[03:42.07]It was cruel.
[03:42.97]It was business as usual.
[03:44.07]
[03:44.64]Heaven. It was hell.
[03:46.10]Used to wonder if I'd live to see 12.
[03:47.61]
[03:48.11]When I did I figured that I was immortal.
[03:49.76]Loved to dance but couldn't make it to the formal.
[03:51.75]Couldn' bear watching my imaginary girlfriend
[03:53.79]Bust a move with any other dudes.
[03:55.53]
[03:55.90]Tone Loc was talking bout a “Wild Thang”
[03:58.23]but I was still caught up in some child thangs.
[04:00.14]Scared of a God who couldn't spare the rod.
[04:02.17]It was clearly a brimstone and fire thang.
[04:04.40]
[04:04.85]Pyromaniac. Kleptomaniac.
[04:06.34]Couldn't explain my desire to steal that fire.
[04:08.92]Now I add it to my rider.
[04:10.31]Like “Please oh please don't throw me in that patch of brier!”
[04:12.90]
[04:13.71]It was the best of times.
[04:17.66]It was the end of times.
[04:19.32]
[04:19.84]The school counselor was clueless
[04:20.99]'cause I never skipped classes.
[04:22.34]Perfect attendance.
[04:23.29]Imperfect accent.
[04:24.33]Speech impediment they could never really fix
[04:26.29]And I faked bad eyesight so I could wear glasses.
[04:28.46]
[04:28.95]Considered doing something that would cripple me.
[04:30.56]I wanted a wheelchair.
[04:31.42]I wanted the sympathy.
[04:32.45]I wanted straight teeth so then came braces.
[04:34.42]4 years of head gear helped me change faces.
[04:36.83]
[04:37.72]It was the best of times.
[04:41.09]It was the end of times.
[04:42.41]
[04:44.36]Now I wonder if I'll live to see marriage.
[04:46.05]Wonder if I'll live long enough to have kids.
[04:48.09]Wonder if I'll live to see my kids have kids.
[04:50.20]If I do I’m gonna tell 'em how it is.
[04:52.06]
[04:52.48]“Don't listen when they tell you
[04:53.53]That these are your best years.
[04:54.57]Don't let anybody protect your ears.
[04:56.68]It's best that you hear
[04:57.50]What they don't want you to hear.
[04:58.81]It's better to have pressure
[04:59.59]From peers than not have peers.
[05:00.66]Beer won't give you chest hair.
[05:02.47]Spicy food won’t make it curl.
[05:04.69]When you think you've got it all figured out
[05:06.13]And then your universe collapses…
[05:08.17]Trust me kid…it’s not the end of the world
[05:12.12]