The Hold Steady - Hostile, Mass. Lyrics

A knockoff necktie
The way he wore it made it look more like a tourniquet
I looked deep in his eyes
I saw Lynn, Massachusetts

She hung a sleeveless dress up on a sleeved up lifestyle
Hey, girl, you gotta cover that
She saw him gushing blood from wide open wounds
And she decided that she loves him

They put the screws into Charlemagne
He had a detox dream, he saw Christ in all his glory
And Charlemagne didn't feel any pain
But he's bleeding from the holes in his story

He said, "Hey my name is Corey
And I'm really into hardcore
People call me Hard Corey"
Don't you hate these clever people
And all these clever people parties

In the park drinking Dark Bacardi
Thinking things are funny when they really ain't that funny
The kids on the corner they keep getting stung
The color of our teeth matches the color of our tongues

In the Back Bay Fens getting gentle
Up against the fence with some guy that looks like Mickey Mantle
Dirty minds keep coming through the mud
The color of their eyes matches the color of our blood

He had a painters cap, it said "Panama Jack"
It had the flaps on the back that kept the sun off his neck
And he woke up deep in Hostile, Massachusetts
Reaching out, trying to touch the special effects

He had no shoes and no pants
And they dressed him in a shirt with a collar
And they called him Porky Pig
The two of you went up to his room
But later on you wouldn't admit you did

Seeing lousy movies but only for the A/C
Skimpy little outfits and bad guys acting crazy
And that's how I know when you're lying
It looks just like overacting

Kids on the corner are cracking and caving in
Turning over and turning other kids in
I never want to make you feel uncomfortable
I hope I never did

They met as kids he was angry and angsty
Yeah, and she was a damned good dancer
I'll be damned if they didn't disappear
Wandered out of mass one day
And faded into the fog and love, and faithless fear

Charlemagne in sweatpants and you and me in Hostile, Massachusetts