Santiago Blues

Inspired by Mexico City Blues - Kerouac
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When you get broken down, when you get beaten up
When the wine don't come to the top of your cup
When you get surrounded by phonies, encircled by cheats
Treated like just another cut 'o' meat

Well you gotta stand up strong
You gotta stand up tall
You gotta stand so your back's to the wall
So you's got no place to fall
You got no bridge to burn
And you could fight your way out machete in hand
From beach of golden sand to gilded hall
Where Montezuma balls out rhymes
In Language of gold
In hall of old
Though ruin lies on that road

Life it makes death
Words are captured under bated breath
In gin soaked house
On mountain high
Stoned in castles in the sky
Yes, I been ruminating on the history of man
Of Custer's last stand and the blade that Cortez carried in his hand

Well yaaaas, them halls be gold
Blind man says you pick your road
Go north, south, east, west
Pick which you like best and fuck the rest
Yes I heard them restless sheep beatin n bleatin
N I saw 'em stone a guy
People these days they don't stop to ask why
Cos yes, they blind, they deaf and theys dumb
N the self appointed witch doctors decide
Who has the fun and who gets the gun
In the land of the blood red setting sun

In kangaroo courts judgement is cast
Amidst speculation so vast
Two dozen hardened eyes chastise
And the voice of the wise gets drowned
So all yous here is that low down gurgling sound

Well them heads bow down to the ground
N them capitalist cathedrals dance to the sky
N neath a railway bridge
Kerouac he been drinking whiskey n rye
Well you know, Dylan ain't dead
It's just that old space in my head,
Needs reshapin', relacin', rewirin'
Cos I'm aspirin' to somethin' better than life's lonesome race

No, I can't stay in one spot, one place
Face the bullshit of the daily race
Of the morning news
Mornin' blues as I reach out n jackhammer snooze
Yes, I said, what am I doin'
Where am I goin'
What am I throwin' at the wall
Which way them damn chips gonna fall
My Ma, she breaked down n balled 'n' said
You gotta live life for yourself and follow your dreams
Else you wake up in ten years n scream
Where'd it go
Who I know
Goddam this life of mine sure blows

Well yaaas you gotta find yourself a gal
Who don't laugh at your looks
Your books
Your face
Who appreciates that it ain't easy for ya
To base your life on the acquisistion of material wealth
But, health, love, joy, happiness
There's more to life n they don't know it
They're too busy wrapped up in their ribbons and bows

Boy they sure is dumb
You can't take it with ya
Not even that offshore accoutn ya hidin
And it's all gonna come down to one moment right
When you got your bullet to bite
S'okay you can take it right
N you can say, well it sure was good
N I'm sure glad I understood
N I done my time n wrote my rhyme on the bathroom floor
N when he come knockin on your door
Don't get sick like the smell of fish when they fryin'
Just say so long babe 'n' get busy dyin'