Bendin' The Rules
Badlees Lyrics
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For how he's suffered me
Through nameless towns
And cold prairie
For restless women
At the end of the line
Who tendered checks for
Cash as quick as "vegas"
Like "vegas" in a dream
I work this charismatic ruse
For my brother's peace and being
Sittin' tight in moline
The money on the bed
With every memory sharp to me
And the fear of times ahead
CHORUS
Maybe the good book
Came from the divine
Or maybe it was written
Just to keep us in line
The mistakes of the sages
Make the rules for the fools
So father forgive me
For bendin' the rules...
Well, mister he improved some
With the money I scammed
Some days his light shines as bright
As the light of the promised land
Death was often something
We freely would discuss
When he was ten and I was twelve
And the spectre would often brush
In and out of treatments
Since twenty months of age
At eighteen the insurance
No longer would maintain
And my old man in the kitchen
His hands upon his face
Did weep to shake his very soul
In the darkness of this place
CHORUS
Hold me Saint Christopher
Over every county line
Overlook my blasphemy
For the sake of buying time
Grant him days of laughter
Bestow me clemency
He sleeps soft in the back seat
His freedom from ordeal
To every ruddy youngster
Off free in summer's fields
And every young lass poised to claim
Her share of what love yields
To all the grieving angels
And the litany of saints
I am my brother's keeper
To what end decides the fates
CHORUS
In this song, the singer reflects on his past and the choices he made to help his brother, who has suffered and struggled with illness for most of his life. He talks about his experiences in nameless towns and on the cold prairie, working his charismatic ruse to get quick cash for his brother's peace and survival. He explains how he would scam women for their money and how that money helped his brother, who has been in and out of treatments since he was twenty months old. The singer tries to justify his actions by questioning the authenticity of the good book and suggesting that rules made by sages may only be there to keep fools in line.
The chorus seems to be an admission of guilt and a plea for forgiveness for bending the rules to help his brother survive. He asks Saint Christopher to hold him over every county line and overlook his blasphemy for the sake of buying time. He also asks for his brother's freedom from ordeal and wishes days of laughter for him. The singer ultimately accepts his role as his brother's keeper and acknowledges that their fates will be decided by what he does next.
The song is a powerful and emotional reflection on the bond between siblings and the sacrifices that one may make for the other. It is also a commentary on the nature of rules and their purpose in society. The singer questions whether rules are made for the greater good or to control the masses and suggests that sometimes bending the rules is necessary to achieve a greater goal.
Line by Line Meaning
Pity my brother
Feel sorry for my brother
For how he's suffered me
For all the difficulties he has faced with me around
Through nameless towns
Traveling through unknown places
And cold prairie
And desolate plains
For restless women
Because of women who never settle down
At the end of the line
At the last stop
Who tendered checks for
Who gave money for
A promise divine
A promise of a better life
Cash as quick as "vegas"
Money as fast as Las Vegas
Like "vegas" in a dream
As if it were just a dream
I work this charismatic ruse
I use my charms to deceive people
For my brother's peace and being
To help my brother find some peace and happiness
Sittin' tight in moline
Staying still in Moline
The money on the bed
With the money on the bed
With every memory sharp to me
Remembering everything in vivid detail
And the fear of times ahead
And being scared of what is to come
Maybe the good book
Perhaps the Bible
Came from the divine
Was written by God
Or maybe it was written
Or maybe it was just written
Just to keep us in line
Just to keep us in check
The mistakes of the sages
The errors of the wise
Make the rules for the fools
Are the basis for the rules that the foolish must follow
So father forgive me
So God forgive me
For bendin' the rules...
For breaking the rules
Well, mister he improved some
Well, he has improved somewhat
With the money I scammed
Thanks to the money I obtained dishonestly
Some days his light shines as bright
Some days his spirit shines brightly
As the light of the promised land
Like the light of the heavenly realm
Death was often something
Death was always on our minds
We freely would discuss
We talked about it openly
When he was ten and I was twelve
When he was 10 and I was 12
And the spectre would often brush
And the idea of death was a frequent thought
In and out of treatments
In and out of hospitals
Since twenty months of age
Since he was 20 months old
At eighteen the insurance
At 18 his insurance
No longer would maintain
Stopped covering his expenses
And my old man in the kitchen
And my father in the kitchen
His hands upon his face
Covering his face with his hands
Did weep to shake his very soul
Cried so hard it shook him to his core
In the darkness of this place
In this dark moment
Hold me Saint Christopher
Protect me, Saint Christopher
Over every county line
Through every county
Overlook my blasphemy
Forgive me for my sins
For the sake of buying time
To have more time with my brother
Grant him days of laughter
Give him happy days
Bestow me clemency
Show mercy towards me
He sleeps soft in the back seat
He is sleeping peacefully in the back of the car
His freedom from ordeal
Being free from pain and suffering
To every ruddy youngster
To every young person
Off free in summer's fields
Enjoying freedom in the summer fields
And every young lass poised to claim
And every young woman ready to seize
Her share of what love yields
Her portion of the rewards love brings
To all the grieving angels
To all the mourning souls
And the litany of saints
And to all the saints
I am my brother's keeper
I am responsible for my brother
To what end decides the fates
To what outcome the fates lead us
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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