Hostile, Mass. - The Hold Steady

A knockoff necktie

The way he wore it made it look more like a tourniquet

I looked deep in his eyes

I saw Lynn, Massachussetts

She hung a sleeveless dress up on a sleeved up lifestyle

Girl you gotta cover that

She saw him gushing blood from wide open wounds

And she decided that she loved him

They put the screws into Charlemagne

He had a detox dream he saw Christ in all his glory

Charlemagne didn’t feel any pain

But he’s bleeding from the holes in his story

He said, «Hey my name is Corey»

«I'm really into hardcore

People call me Hard Corey.»

Don’t you hate these clever people

And all these clever people parties

In the park drinking Dark Bacardi

Thinking things are funny when they really ain’t that funny

The kids on the corner they keep getting stung

The color of our teeth matches the color of our tongues

In the Back Bay Fens getting gentle

Up against the fence with some guy who looks like Mickey Mantle

Dirty minds keep coming through the mud

The color of their eyes matches the color of our blood

He had a painters cap

It said Panama Jack, it had the flaps on the back

That kept the sun off his neck

He woke up deep in Hostile, Massachussetts

Reaching out to try to touch the special effects

He had no shoes and no pants

And they dressed him in a shirt with a collar

And they called him Porky Pig

And the two of you went up to his room

Later on you wouldn’t admit you did

Seeing lousy movies but only for the A/C

Skimpy little outfits and bad guys acting crazy

And that’s how I know when you’re lying

It looks just like overacting

The kids on the corner are cracking and caving in

Turning over and turning other kids in

I never want to make you feel uncomfortable

I hope I never did

They met as kids he was angry and angsty

Yeah, she was a damned good dancer

I’ll be damned if they didn’t disappear

Wandered out of mass one day and faded into the fog and love and faithless fear

Charlemagne in sweatpants and you and me in Hostile, Massachussetts