King Park
La Dispute Lyrics

Another shooting on the southeast side
There has been another incident of gun violence on the southeastern part of town.

This a drive-by, mid-day
The shooting took place during the day while the shooter was driving by.

Outside of the bus stop, by Fuller and Franklin
The shooting happened near a bus stop located at the intersection of Fuller and Franklin streets.

Or near there, not far from the park
The incident occurred close to a park, not too far from the mentioned location.

About a block from where the other shooting was last month
The recent shooting took place approximately one block away from another shooting that occurred the previous month.

Or was it last week?
There's uncertainty regarding the timing of the other shooting, either last month or last week.

Shots were fired from an SUV heading northbound, Eastown
Gunshots were discharged from a sport utility vehicle driving towards the north of Eastown.

The target a rival but they didn't hit the target this time
The intended target was a rival, but they missed hitting them in this instance.

They hit a kid we think had nothing to do with it
Unfortunately, they hit an innocent child who we believe had no involvement in the situation.

And I travel backwards through time and space and
In the artist's imagination, they are able to travel back in time and space.

I disintegrate, become invisible
In this imaginative state, the singer disintegrates and becomes invisible.

I wanna see it where I couldn't when it happened
The artist desires to witness the event firsthand, which they were unable to do when it initially occurred.

I wanna see it all first hand this time
The singer yearns to witness the whole incident themselves.

I want to know what it felt like
There is a strong desire to understand and experience the emotions and sensations of the situation.

So I float behind police lines
The singer envisions themselves floating behind the barricades set up by the police.

Reconstruct the scene in fragments of memories
Through fragmented memories, the artist reconstructs the scene in their mind.

I wanna know what his mother looked like up close
The artist wishes to see the mother of the child who was shot up close.

I wanna see her leaning over his body
The singer desires to witness the mother leaning over the body of her deceased child.

So I float there, transcend time
Continuing the imaginative journey, the singer floats in that scene, transcending time.

I wanna capture it accurately
There is a strong desire to accurately capture the details of the scene.

I wanna know what the color of the blood was
The artist longs to know the specific color of the blood that spilled onto the concrete.

Spilling out from the tarp onto the concrete
The blood flowed from the covering onto the concrete.

I wanna write it all down so I can always remember
The singer intends to document every aspect of the incident to ensure they never forget.

If you could see it up close how could you ever forget?
The artist questions how one could possibly forget such a haunting sight and experience by witnessing it firsthand.

How senseless death, how precious life
The contrast between the meaningless loss of life and the value of every individual's existence is contemplated.

I wanna be there when the bullet hit
The singer desires to be present at the exact moment the bullet struck.

And the crowd poured out as the shots drowned into siren sounds
The sound of the gunshots was overwhelmed by the growing crowd and the wailing sirens.

Out of their houses now and over front yards
People, coming out of their homes, hurriedly made their way across their front yards.

All the way up to the place where the police tape ran to mark the crime scene
The curious onlookers proceeded towards the area where the police tape delineated the crime scene.

Everybody trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening
Everyone was attempting to get a quick look at the ongoing situation.

Of what was going on between the ambulance and all the cop cars
They were interested in understanding the events taking place amidst the presence of ambulances and police vehicles.

Everybody gossiping, 'Whose kid got hit? Where'd it hit him? And who could've fired it?'
Amongst themselves, people were engaging in speculative conversations about the identity of the child who got shot, the location of the injury, and the potential perpetrator.

Everybody wondering, 'How did it happen again? And is he dead? These children. Our kids'
There was a collective sense of astonishment and concern about another shooting incident, with a specific focus on the well-being of the children within the community.

Everybody wondering how far they were from where the victims live
Curiosity arose regarding the proximity of the witnesses to the residences of the victims.

And I visit them, their houses
The singer ventures into the homes of the victims in their imagination.

Inside my dream I visit them
The visitation occurs within the context of the artist's dream.

My spirit, soaring high and high up over King Park
The singer's spirit metaphorically ascends above King Park, the setting of the tragedy.

Leaves the crime scene, travels further back
The spirit departs from the crime scene and travels backward in time.

Til far before the shooting
The chronological journey takes the singer back to a time before the shooting occurred.

Through their windows
The artist observes the victims' houses by peering through their windows.

To their living rooms
The focus shifts to the living rooms within the houses.

I see them younger this time, playing games and doing homework
The inhabitants of the houses are envisioned as younger individuals engaging in innocent activities like playing games and doing homework.

All these marks of youth soon transformed coldly into stone
The youthful characteristics and behaviors eventually fade away, replaced by a sense of cold hardness or emotional detachment.

For fights and stupid feuds
The transformation is attributed to the conflicts and trivial arguments that arise over time.

For ruins wrapped in gold
The homes and lives of the individuals, once full of promise and potential, have become decaying ruins disguised by superficial appearances of wealth or success.

And cruelly I recall why I have come to find a reason
The artist cruelly remembers their purpose of seeking a reason or explanation for the tragedy.

But there cannot be a reason, not for death
Ultimately, the singer realizes that death cannot be justified or rationalized. It is devoid of reason.

Not like this, not like this
The tragic circumstances reinforce the notion that death should not occur in such a senseless manner.

Three days later they made funeral plans, the family
After three days, the family commenced making arrangements for the funeral.

Three days later a mother had to bury her son
Three days later, a grieving mother was forced to lay her child to rest.

Not far away the shooter holed up in a hotel
In close proximity, the shooter sought refuge in a hotel.

Near to the highway with a friend and the gun
The shooter's location was close to the highway, accompanied by a friend and the weapon used.

That same gun
Referring to the firearm used in the shooting.

He'd fled immediately but was identified by witnesses
The shooter quickly fled the scene but was recognized and identified by individuals who witnessed the incident.

His picture on TV, only 20 years old
The shooter's photograph was displayed on television, revealing that he was just 20 years old.

They called him 'Grandpa'
Despite his young age, the shooter was given the nickname 'Grandpa'.

He was older than the others by a year
The shooter was slightly older than the rest, approximately one year older.

Maybe two
There is a possibility that the age difference could be two years instead of one.

And he was safe for awhile until somebody saw him there
The shooter initially managed to evade capture and remained safe until someone spotted him in that location.

And notified the authorities
The witness promptly informed the authorities about the shooter's whereabouts.

Who surrounded the hotel, first arresting an accomplice while attempting to flee
Law enforcement officers encircled the hotel, apprehending an associate of the shooter who was caught in the act of trying to escape.

Then chasing him up the staircase to the floor where he'd stayed
The authorities pursued the shooter up the staircase, leading to the floor where he had been residing.

He closed the door hard behind him
Upon reaching his destination, the shooter forcefully closed the door behind him.

Locked himself in the room
The shooter secured himself within the room by locking the door.

They could've kicked in the door
The authorities had the option to forcefully break down the door.

But knew the gun was still with him
Considering that the shooter still had the firearm in his possession, the authorities opted for caution.

One he'd already used and so they feared what he'd do
Given that the shooter had already demonstrated a willingness to use the gun, the authorities were apprehensive about his potential actions.

I floated up through the window of a room to the west
The artist imagines ascending through a window of a room towards the west, looking in from outside the location.

I hovered out to the hallway, tried to listen in
The artist visualizes themselves hanging in the hallway, attempting to overhear the conversation taking place inside the room.

I heard them trying to reason, get him to open the door
The artist perceives the authorities attempting to engage in reasoning, pleading with the shooter to unlock the door.

His uncle begging and pleading, half-collapsed to the floor
The shooter's uncle is depicted as imploring and kneeling, partially collapsing onto the floor.

He preached of hope and forgiveness
The uncle delivered a sermon of hope and forgiveness.

Said, 'There is always a chance to rectify what you've taken
He conveyed the belief that there is always an opportunity to make amends for the harm one has caused.

Make your peace in the world'
The uncle emphasized the importance of finding personal peace within the world.

I thought to slip through the door, I could've entered the room
The singer contemplates the possibility of slipping through the door, gaining access to the room.

I felt the burden of murder, it shook the earth to the core
The weight of the act of murder is metaphorically experienced by the artist, causing a profound disturbance within them.

Felt like the world was collapsing
The artist's perception mirrors the feeling of the world crumbling and collapsing around them.

Then we heard him speak
At that moment, the group outside the room hears the shooter's voice.

'Can I still get into heaven if I kill myself?
The shooter voices a desperate question, inquiring about the possibility of entering heaven despite taking their own life.

Can I still get into heaven if I kill myself?
The same question is repeated, emphasizing the shooter's desperation and internal conflict.

Can I ever be forgiven cause I killed that kid?
The shooter wonders if there is any chance of forgiveness for their actions, specifically the killing of the innocent child.

It was an accident I swear it wasn't meant for him!
The shooter claims that the child's death was unintentional, asserting that their intentions were not directed towards the victim.

And if I turn it on me
The shooter contemplates the possibility of turning the gun on themself.

If I even it out
By taking their own life, the shooter contemplates the idea of balancing the scales.

Can I still get in or will they send me to hell?
The shooter questions whether they would still be able to enter heaven or if their actions would condemn them to hell.

Can I still get into heaven if I kill myself?
The shooter repeats the earlier question, seeking reassurance or guidance regarding eternal salvation.

I left the hotel behind
The singer mentally exits the scene at the hotel.

Don't wanna know how it ends
The artist deliberately avoids finding out the resolution or outcome of the situation.