Rochester

This is my father's story, Michael P. Kearney, born in Rochester New York

I was born in Rochester to a bookmaking man

Had a fake cigar shops with the games on in the back

See them coming and going, let them ride on thoroughbreds

Police chief and Tompaw wondering what was the spread

I carried rich men's bag through the brow trying to chase a little white ball

I learned that any soft place wasn't good for me at all

Daddy came home fired up looking for some sort of release

He beat the hell out of Timmy, Timmy beat the hell out of me

I would hop the fence out to this government fields

Run 'til there was nothing more to feel

Lying there watching planes just disappear

Knowing one day I'm gonna fly on out of here

Well that same police chief came knocking my first freshman day

Put my daddy in handcuffs, send his picture on the front page

Took every one of his suits and all my dignity

Walk the halls of Irondequoit waiting for any punk to set me free

I would hop the fence out to this government fields

Run 'til there was nothing more to feel

Lying there watching planes just disappear

Knowing one day I 'm gonna fly on out of here

Well I got that call to Vietnam just like everyone else I knew

So scared of the hand grenades, threw them farther than any other troop

I came home like an iron fist and Timmy tried to take my keys

Ripped open his front pocket that was the last time he touched me

Moved to an island out west up to Breckenridge

Met a mermaid on a glass boat and she promised me some kids

Bought a house in Oregon where you could touch both of the walls

Had a son named Benjamin and I was so scared of it all

Well Benjamin walked in the front room where I was cutting up my hash

Looked into those deep blue eyes wondering why I've been so mad

Flushed a quarter pound down the drain praying for the mercy to confess

Trying to rip the boy from Rochester right out of my chest

We're gonna walk right out into these heavenly fields

Run like there was no more time to steal

My three boys in the grace of god I feel

Knowing one day you're gonna take me out of here

Knowing one day you're gonna take me out of here