The Drive-By

The Drive-By
by Tom Flannery copyright 2008

Download the MP3

We welcome your comments.

Sitting on my porch
as the motorcade went by
secret service man
giving me the eye
all I saw was tinted windows
flags waving from the hood
the man he wants my vote
but I've given all I could

This town is the kind you drive through
when you see your exit's gone
in your rear-view mirror
and you need a way back on
we used to make things in our factories
feed ourselves with these fields
but time's a fickle mistress
with diminishing yields

another drive by doing it
in remembrance of me
shoulda come down here years ago
to see the way we used to be
another drive by
like a gangster
settling a score
used to believe in something
don't believe in nothing anymore

My father fought the great war
I was in the other one
sticking needles in my arms
so I could shoot my gun
I came home a junkie
but nobody seemed to care
even I couldn't explain it
why we were over there

But I got myself together
found a girl and settled down
hot blast of the furnace
led us to this town
put my 2 boys through college
had some money put aside
but the imports man they killed us
and tariffs were put aside

another drive by doing it
in remembrance of me
shoulda come down here years ago
to see the way we used to be
another drive by
like a gangster
settling a score
used to believe in something
don't believe in nothing anymore

ain't this land my land?
ain't this land made for you and me?
ain't this land my land?
ain't this land made for you and me?

So they closed the place in pieces
like a kid with dominos
then they filed for protection
and with that my pension goes
I looked to sound off
but there was nobody there
so I started stocking shelves
with stuff made elsewhere

And so now you're coming down here
looking me in the eye
saying the blame lies elsewhere
and promising the sky
excuse me if I don't stand
as your limo rolls past
I got a second job to go to
to make this feeling last

ain't this land my land?
ain't this land made for you and me?
ain't this land my land?
ain't this land made for you and me?

another drive by doing it
in remembrance of me
shoulda come down here years ago
to see the way we used to be
another drive by
like a gangster
settling a score
used to believe in something
don't believe in nothing anymore