Wailing Paddle

[written by The Rudiments]

breakin' out the old wailing paddle

Pull the splinters out of your skin

Ice your knuckle, vow revenge

Corporal rule, teach it cruel

Hard times, you missed a grand grime

ingrained acceptance, invisible scars

Take your whippin' like a man and you'll be a winner yeah

Don't you wanna shine like the stars

Good boys do good girls don't

Double standards feeding off the rusty remains of the past

the things we learn from consequence

We're all just figures messed up in coincidence

You live your life by foolishness

The things we least require take priority

who listens to the punk rockers anymore?

Spit the fire like before, just like Mark Twain

play the roles away

driving past the billboards with the legs that sell

Get yourself a new car & a bottle & the babes will follow you

It's all just fun you see, no one gets hurt

Why should we question what is commonplace

the things we learn from consequence

We're all just figures messed up in coincidence

You live your life by foolishness

The things we least require take priority

play the roles away

...in the classroom, in the back row, some old lecture

...in the locker room, there's an asshole yellin' at your mom

...on the bar stool, tryin' not to be, but it's hard to change

...but in the end, who do you think created all the roles that we play?