Lean On Your Peers
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings Lyrics
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Watching the clothes, ghosts playing tit for tat
We light a joint, talk about our old friends
Dead or alive our stories never end
Turn it over, look on the back page
There's Johnny GoGo looks like he'll never age
Sits in the Park House, drinking beer and landing flies
CHORUS
That's just the way it is here
No less and no more severe
That's just the way it is here
So pull up your socks and lean on your peers
Did you hear about Hank?
Booze rotted out his liver
Gray and depressed,
He gave his wife the finger
What about his kid,
What about his ex-wife
Ask themselves the same thing when they turn out the lights
I still remember the first time I saw him sing
2 black eyes, from a knuckle and a biker's ring
Climbing up the speakers, hanging from The Balla rafters
Hamilton punk king swinging to his own disaster
CHORUS....
Pattie couldn't make it
She jumped right out the window
3 floors down 'cause they cut off her cable
Dan took the same fall
Fire ball on Hunter Street
Landed on the sidewalk
Looked just like a chicken wing
It was a heartfelt night it was raining
Tim told us the whole story
Hanging at the gas station
I never wanted to hear that description
But now I know what is and isn't fiction
CHORUS X2
The song Lean On Your Peers by Blackie & The Rodeo Kings provides the listeners with vivid stories of the band members' old friends, both alive and dead. The lyrics describe sleepless nights in the laundrymat where ghosts play tit for tat while the band members light up a joint and talk about their friends. They look at the back page of a newspaper where they see Johnny GoGo, who looks like he will never age, sitting and drinking beer in Park House, waiting for trouble boys.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the fact that the band members accept the way things are in their community, neither less nor more severe, and they rely on their peers for support. The lyrics mention their friend Hank, whose liver was destroyed by booze, and how depressed he was. Hank gave his wife the finger, leaving his kid and ex-wife to ask themselves the same questions when they turn out the lights. The song then goes on to describe the first time the band members saw their friend, the Hamilton punk king with two black eyes, who climbed up the singers and hung from The Balla rafters, swinging to his own disaster.
The song also speaks about the tragic events that happened to their friends. Pattie jumped out of the window because they cut off her cable, and Dan suffered the same fate, ending up on the sidewalk, looking like a chicken wing. The song ends on a somber note with Tim telling the band members a heartbreaking story at the gas station.
Line by Line Meaning
On sleepless nights down in the laundrymat
During insomnia-filled nights at the laundromat
Watching the clothes, ghosts playing tit for tat
Observing the clothes while the imagination runs wild
We light a joint, talk about our old friends
Smoking a joint and reminiscing about old friends
Dead or alive our stories never end
Stories of friends continue regardless if they're among the living or not
Turn it over, look on the back page
Flipping over the page to see what’s on the backside
There's Johnny GoGo looks like he'll never age
Johnny Gogo looking like he's forever young
Sits in the Park House, drinking beer and landing flies
Johnny sits in his regular spot, drinking and fishing
Just after noon, waiting for the trouble boys.
Waiting for the boys who usually cause problems
CHORUS
The repeated section of the song
That's just the way it is here
Things in this place are just as they are
No less and no more severe
Neither less nor more severe than anywhere else
So pull up your socks and lean on your peers
Rely on and support each other through tough times
Did you hear about Hank?
Did you hear the news about Hank?
Booze rotted out his liver
His liver was damaged by excessive drinking
Gray and depressed,
Feeling down and low
He gave his wife the finger
He made an obscene gesture towards his ex-wife
What about his kid, What about his ex-wife
What happens to his kid and ex-wife after he's gone
Ask themselves the same thing when they turn out the lights
Wondering the same thing when they're alone at night
I still remember the first time I saw him sing
Recalling the first time watching him perform
2 black eyes, from a knuckle and a biker's ring
Black eyes caused by a punch and a ring worn by a biker
Climbing up the speakers, hanging from The Balla rafters
Climbing up the artists and hanging from the rafters of The Balla
Hamilton punk king swinging to his own disaster
Punk hero from Hamilton swinging his own way to destruction
Pattie couldn't make it
Pattie couldn't come
She jumped right out the window
Jumped out of a window
3 floors down 'cause they cut off her cable
Disabling her cable made her jump
Dan took the same fall
Dan also fell
Fire ball on Hunter Street
A big fire on Hunter Street
Landed on the sidewalk
Fell and landed on the pavement
Looked just like a chicken wing
Appeared like a piece of chicken
It was a heartfelt night it was raining
A night full of emotions, in the rain
Tim told us the whole story
Tim told us everything in detail
Hanging at the gas station
Chilling at the gas station
I never wanted to hear that description
I never wished to know and detail about the situation
But now I know what is and isn't fiction
I now understand what's true and false in the story
CHORUS X2
The chorus repeated twice
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eric Amlin
we need to lean on each other as we're going through this virus. What a great song!
deathpiggy89
I wish these guy's would play in Northern California!! One of the greatest bands ive ever heard.
marty1030g
Love this song,reminds me of the town I live in and friends alive and dead,so true.
Barbie B. Carl Nitsche
Wonderful song ...! Wonderful video !
jimmy johnson
agreed tho great band
Baby Blue
💙
jimmy johnson
he died man las year playin hockey bro to late
Thunder_bolt4
This is the worst bs ever
Gerard
your taste and attitude is the worst bullshit over