Tattoos

Oh it's payday, yes it's payday

I got my pay cheque from the man

There's not so many jobs that I can get these days

With these marks all over my hands

But I'm gonna take that cheque

I'm gonna head across the track

To the wrong side of this town

I'm gonna open the door

I'm gonna bask in the roar

Of that familiar buzzing needle sound

Because the ink in my skin

Where the needle went in

However many years ago

Has left marks on my arms

And they say who I am

Everywhere that I go

Some people have one and

Some have one that they're ashamed of

Most people think that we're fools

Some people don't get it and

Some people don't care

And some of us we have tattoos

Oh it's fading, yes it's fading

Some of the things that I believed back then

Yes my skin has started sagging and

The ink has started running

And I've got buddy tattoos with people

Who aren't friends

Oh I've even got black x's from when I was straight edge

So crack open a beer friends now

And let's make a pledge

If we had the luck to live our lives

A second time through we'd be sure to get the same tattoos

Because the ink in my skin

Where the needle went in

However many years ago

Has left marks on my arms

And they say who I am

Everywhere that I go

Some people have one and

Some have one that they're ashamed of

Most people think that we're fools

Some people don't get it and

Some people don't care

And some of us we have tattoos

We've got hearts for the lovers

And playing cards for the gamblers

Black flag bars for the punks

And sailing ships for the ramblers

We got skulls for the living

And the pain pays our dues

And some of us we have tattoos