Spraypaint Backalley
Damien Dempsey Lyrics

Down a spray paint back alley
I am walking down a dirty, graffiti-covered street.

I look up at the sky
I lift my head and gaze at the clouds and birds above me.

And I see through red eyes
I am high or drunk and my vision is tinted red.

The seagulls wheel around and around
The birds are gracefully circling in the sky.

Worn out couches and fridges
There are discarded pieces of furniture and appliances scattered around.

And mongrel dogs roam free
Street dogs are wandering around without owners.

There are rags and there are riches
There are both poor and wealthy people in this world.

Inside this head for me
These thoughts and observations are all going on in my head.

We drink cheap English cider
We are consuming low-quality alcoholic beverages.

And smoke hashish from North Africa
We are also smoking a type of marijuana that originated from North Africa.

I've been tryin' to get the mix right
I am attempting to find the perfect combination of substances to achieve the desired effect.

But I haven't got it right tonight
My attempt to achieve the desired effect has failed tonight.

I've a fifteen year old mustache
I have been growing a mustache for fifteen years.

I'm so desperate for to be a man
I am eager to prove my manhood or masculinity.

People tell me to shave it off,
Others suggest I should remove my mustache.

If I shave it I'm a boy again
Without my mustache, I feel as though I would lose my sense of maturity and become a child again.

Watch my father and my brother
I observe my male family members.

Fixing old cars.
They are repairing old vehicles.

And their rough oil stained hands
Their hands are covered in grease and oil.

Are skilled and scarred
Their hands show signs of wear and experience.

Behind this big rusty shed door
There is a large door to a deteriorating shed.

There's a punch bag and a clapped out car
In this area, there is a punching bag and a rundown car.

As the car sits on breeze blocks
The car is stationary on cement blocks.

The punch bag takes some heavy shots
Someone is using the punching bag with significant force.

Down the lane way sniffin' petrol
I am walking down a narrow street while inhaling fumes from gasoline.

I thought pebble dash was snow
The textured material on the walls of the buildings looked like snow to me.

As I stumbled in a blizzard
While walking, I lost my balance as if I was caught in a snowstorm.

The pain inside me disappeared
My emotional or mental discomfort was alleviated in this moment.

Cross the city down the alleys
I travel through the city's side streets and passageways.

A thousand kids like me
There are numerous young people in this area who share a similar background.

They are watching through red eyes
Like me, these individuals are also under the influence and have red-tinted vision.

The flock of little birds gracefully gliding by
A group of small birds are swooping through the air elegantly.

Fought in the lane, lost in the lane
I was involved in a physical altercation in the alley and lost the fight.

Swallowed the shame, then I fought again
I was embarrassed by my loss but continued to engage in physical fighting.

Fought in the lane, cried in the lane
After another street fight, I cried in the alleyway.

Swallowed the pain, then I fought again
Despite experiencing physical and emotional pain, I continued to fight.

Fell in the lane, got back up in the lane
I collapsed in the alley but regained my footing shortly after.

Died in the lane, and came alive again
I felt that a part of me died in the alley, but I felt revived or reenergized shortly after.

We are all in the gutter
We all come from humble, low-class beginnings.

But some of us are looking at the stars
Despite our circumstances, some of us are still aspiring to achieve greatness or see the beauty in life.

The stars, ooh the stars, the stars
I am emphasizing how captivating and wondrous the stars are.