Constructive Summer
The Hold Steady Lyrics

Me and my friends are like the drums on "Lust for Life?
My friends and I are the driving force of our community, like the drums on 'Lust for Life.'

We pound it out on floor toms
We work hard and strive towards our goals with a steady rhythm.

Our psalms are sing-along songs
The things we believe in and aspire to are shared by many and inspire us to work together.

And this whole town is like this
The community we live in is characterized by its hardworking spirit and shared goals.

Been that way our whole lives
This is the only life we've ever known, and we embrace the values and traditions of our community.

Just work at the mill until you die
The mainstay of our community is hard labor, and for many of us, that's all we know until we pass away.

Work at the mill, and then you die
Our lives revolve around the mill, and we work until our time is up.

We're gonna build something, this summer
We're going to work hard and achieve something significant this summer.

We'll put it back together raise up a giant ladder
We'll create something from the ground up, starting with the foundation.

With love, and trust, and friends, and hammers (this summer!)
Our efforts will be driven by our love and trust for each other, using the tools at our disposal to achieve our goals.

We're gonna lean this ladder up against the water tower
Our achievement will be symbolized by leaning a ladder against the town's water tower.

Climb up to the top, and drink and talk (this summer!)
We'll celebrate our success by climbing to the top of the water tower and enjoying each other's company.

Me and my friends are like "Double-whiskey-coke-no-ice."
We're energetic and enthusiastic, fueled by the power of camaraderie.

We drink along in double time, might drink too much, but we feel fine
We enjoy each other's company and aren't afraid to let loose and have a good time.

This summer, grant us all the power to drink on top of water towers,
We hope to continue enjoying each other's company and celebrating our success, even at great heights.

With love, and trust, and shows, all summer (get hammered!)
Our friendship and trust in each other will be reinforced by the fun we have together over the summer, even if we drink too much!

Let this be my annual reminder that we can all be something bigger
We're capable of great things, especially when we work together and pursue our shared goals.

I went to your schools, I did my detention
I grew up here and went through the school system, even getting in trouble now and then.

But the walls are so gray, I couldn't pay attention
The environment I grew up in wasn't particularly inspiring, and it was hard to find motivation.

I heard your gospel it moved me to tears,
Despite this, I was inspired by the message I heard about hard work and community spirit.

But I couldn't find the hate, and I couldn't find the fear
I couldn't get behind the negativity and division that sometimes seemed to permeate our community.

I met your Savior, I knelt at his feet,
I believed in the values and messages of the church and its leaders.

And he took my ten bucks, and he went down the street
However, I sometimes felt that the church leaders were more concerned with money than anything else.

I tried to believe all the things that you said,
I tried to take what I learned from school and church to heart.

But my friends that aren't dying are already dead.
Sadly, some of my friends have passed away already, making it hard to believe that things will get better.

Raise a toast to St. Joe Strummer
Let's honor Joe Strummer, a musician and cultural icon who inspired us to pursue our dreams and build something meaningful.

I think he might've been our only decent teacher
Perhaps Joe Strummer was the only role model or mentor who truly understood us and inspired us to do better.

Getting older makes it harder to remember we are our only saviors
Growing older can make it hard to remember that we are in control of our own futures, and it's up to us to save ourselves.

We're gonna build something, this summer
Despite these challenges and uncertainties, we're still determined to work hard and achieve something significant this summer.