I knew that snapshot as soon as I saw it
on a slightly yel lowed page
Five boys with arms
on each other's shoulders
Drunk and laughing
With all night to rage
To a camera that grabbed us
before we got any older
H on the left now lectures biology Dave
Fuck the world, he mumbles,
before misgivin'
Plays Jesse Winchester on CD, said
Then we lived,
now we only try to make a livin'
Five bright boys, still for a moment
Ten bright eyes laughing at lies
Nexus P, who's in advertising
He really made a man
Slick dresser,
says I'm glad I don't dream anymore
People pay me to think of one -liners
That make even great detergents glint
I bet good old Joey,
he'd call me a whore
Joey's there in the middle,
recalling my conscience
I envied his bloody sharp tongue
above all
It was a mistake,
his mother cried mysteriously
When she called,
whether we'd better pull on
Five bright boys, still for a moment
Ten bright eyes, laughing at lies
50 fingers holdin' each other
5 bright boys prepared to strive
Joey holds L, he's a doctor,
and a father of four
and on two bottles of wine a day.
He used to write poetry,
well he now beats his wife,
as a matter of fact,
she was then the photographer.
And he said then,
it wouldn't last as a couple, no way.
It looks like they're stuck
with each other for life
Last in line there's a boy
who laughs his head off
He reminds me of both my
father and my son
That kid looks so familiar
Sometimes I wonder if
we're still the same one
I went chasing the truth in
200 word songs
Sometimes I'm scared I did it all wrong
Then again I feel this was the only way
I leave the decision to
whatever God it is
That calls it a day
On five bright boys
Still for a moment
Ten bright eyes laughing at life
Fifty fingers holding each other
Five bright boys prepared to
strive
I'm not going to be a fool for you,
I'm not going be you,
I'm going
Five bright boys prepared to stride