Hold Steady Lyrics

We had some Massive Nights

Summer 88 was all heat and intensity.
I saw the Youth of Today at the 7th Street Entry.
There were skins in the pit.
And some of them tried to kill me.

I got to the part about the exodus
And up to then I only knew it was a movement of the people

I guess the heavy stuff ain't quite at its heaviest
By the time it gets out to suburban Minneapolis

Lost in fog and love and faithless fear
I've had kisses that make Judas seem sincere

They found me in a florist, I was fried and out of focus

It was a bloodsucking summer
I spent half the time trying to get paid from our saviour
Swishing though the City Center
I did a couple favours for these guys who looked like Tusken Raiders

There's gonna come a time when the true scene leaders
Forget where they differ and get big picture
'cause the kids at their shows, they'll have kids of their own
The sing-a-long songs will be our scriptures

And in the '90s we were wired and well connected
Put it all down on technology and lost everything we invested

They did "She's Got Legs" into "Ain't Too Proud To Beg"
Into something by the Dixie Dregs
And they faked their way through "Fairytale of New York"
When the band stopped playing we howled out for more

His two handed handshake says he's so glad to meet you
His one silver earring says he parties on weekends

Me and my friends are like the drums on Lust for Life
We pound it out on floor toms
Our psalms are sing-along songs

She says she always smoked cigarettes.
Ever since she was seven.
She always likes the big ones best.
You get more for yr money.
I know that she's gorgeous.
I can't take her serious.
She looks kinda ridiculous.
With her Malibu 120s.

At least in dying you don’t have to deal with new wave for a second time

The things that make you high will make you die

She crashed into the Easter mass with her hair done up in broken glass
She was limping left on broken heels
When she said, "Father, can I tell your congregation how a resurrection really feels?"

When there weren’t any parties, sometimes she’d party with townies

Meet me right in front of the rainbow foods.
I got a brown paper bag and black buckle shoes.
If anything seems weird then just cruise.

Summer 88 was all heat and intensity.
I saw the Youth of Today at the 7th Street Entry.
There were skins in the pit.
And some of them tried to kill me.
Same club next summer.
Now they're called Shelter.
After the show I spoke with the singer.
And he tried to hand me a pamphlet about Hare Krishna

He put something on the stereo, it sounds like it's Sinatra
She thinks that seems a bit square
But there's things you overlook when you're getting with the guy upstairs

If she asks, don't tell her that I'm living hand-to-mouth
Don't tell her I've been sleeping on your couch
If she asks, just tell her that we opened for The Stones
It's her favorite band except for The Ramones

He quoted her some poetry
He's Tennyson in denim and sheepskin
He looked a lot like Izzy Stradlin

They used to think it was so cute when she said Dy'er Mak'er
All the boys knew it was a joke about Jamaica

And we didn't go to Dallas
“Cause Jackie Onassis said that it ain't safe for Catholics yet
Think about what they pulled on Kennedy and then think about his security
Then think about what they might try to pull on you and me

And we didn't go to Dallas
“Cause Jackie Onassis said that it ain't safe for Catholics yet
Think about what they pulled on Kennedy and then think about his security
Then think about what they might try to pull on you and me

We were all powered up on some new upper drug
Everyone was funny
Everyone was pretty
And everyone was coming towards the center of the city

We were all powered up on some new upper drug
Everyone was funny
Everyone was pretty
And everyone was coming towards the center of the city

We slept it off in the matinees

She flew a flag she made from a bedsheet
A sideways skull and a lopsided pentagram
Said "Asymmetrical's way more diabolical
You don't want to make it look too perfect, man"

When you're stuck out in the middle you just figure that there's something you're missing
But it turns out that California is
just tripping and disinterested kissing