Life During Wartime
Kindergarten Lyrics

Heard of a van that is loaded with weapons,
There's a rumor about a van filled with weapons

Packed up and ready to go
The van is ready to leave

Heard of some grave sites, out by the highway,
There are grave sites near the highway

A place where nobody knows
No one knows about these graves

The sound of gunfire, off in the distance,
Gunshots can be heard in the distance

I'm getting used to it now
The person has become accustomed to the sound of gunfire

Lived in a brownstone, lived in the ghetto,
Lived in a variety of places throughout the town

I've lived all over this town
The person has lived throughout the town

This ain't no party, this ain't no disco,
This is not a fun, carefree time

This ain't no fooling around
This is a serious situation

No time for dancing, or lovey dovey,
There's no time for dancing or romantic gestures

I ain't got time for that now
There is no time for frivolous activities

Transmit the message, to the receiver,
Send a message to someone

Hope for an answer some day
Hope to receive a response at some point

I got three passports, a couple of visas,
The person has multiple passports and visas

You don't even know my real name
The person has a hidden identity

High on a hillside, the trucks are loading,
Trucks are being loaded on a hill

Everything's ready to roll
Everything is ready to go

I sleep in the daytime, I work in the nighttime,
The person's sleep schedule is reversed

I might not ever get home
The person may never return home

Heard about Houston? Heard about Detroit?
Have you heard what's happening in these places?

Heard about Pittsburgh, P. A.?
Have you heard what's happening in Pittsburgh, P.A.?

You oughta know not to stand by the window
It's not safe to stand near windows

Somebody might see you up there
Someone could see you standing there

I got some groceries, some peanut butter,
The person has some food items

To last a couple of days
The food will only last a few days

But I ain't got no speakers, ain't got no
The person doesn't have any speakers, headphones or records to play music

Headphones, ain't got no records to play
The person has no way to play music

Why stay in college? Why go to night school?
Questioning the value of continuing education

Gonna be different this time
This time things will be different

Can't write a letter, can't send a postcard,
The person cannot communicate through traditional means

I can't write nothing at all
The person cannot write anything

This ain't no party, this ain't no disco,
This is not a fun, carefree time

This ain't no fooling around
This is a serious situation

I'd like to kiss you, I'd love you hold you
The person would like to be romantic

I ain't got no time for that now
But there is not enough time for that

Trouble in transit, got through the roadblock,
There are problems while traveling, but they get through a roadblock

We blended with the crowd
By blending in with others, they were able to pass through without being detected

We got computer, we're tapping phone lines,
They have computer equipment and are listening in on phone calls

I know that ain't allowed
The activity they're engaging in is illegal

We dress like students, we dress like housewives,
They dress in a variety of ways to avoid detection

Or in a suit and a tie
And sometimes dress more formally to blend in

I changed my hairstyle, so many times now,
They change their hairstyle frequently to avoid being recognized

I don't know what I look like!
They have changed their appearance so much they don't recognize themselves

You make me shiver, I feel so tender,
Being around the other person makes them emotional

We make a pretty good team
They work well together

Don't get exhausted, I'll do some driving,
The other person needs rest and they will take over driving

You ought to get some sleep
The other person needs to rest

Get you instructions, follow directions,
Give instructions and ask for them to be followed

Then you should change your address
Change your address to avoid being found

Maybe tomorrow, maybe the next day,
Maybe they will do this tomorrow or the next day

Whatever you think is best
Do what you think is best

Burned all my notebooks, what good are notebooks?
They've destroyed things that were once important to them but no longer matter in these circumstances

They won't help me survive
These items won't help them stay alive

My chest is aching, burns like a furnace,
The person is in pain and feels a burning sensation in their chest

The burning keeps me alive
The pain makes them feel more alive, they have a new perspective on life

Try to stay healthy, physical fitness,
They try to stay healthy and maintain their physical fitness

Don't want to catch no disease
They do not want to get sick

Try to be careful, don't take no chances,
They try to be cautious to avoid danger

You better watch what you say
Be careful with what you say to avoid getting in trouble