The Bus
from: Life So Far
Met a man on the bus, he'd come 2000 miles across the country just to get his daughter out of a jam; she had to go to court, she charged her boyfriend with date rape
It gets more complicated: they already had a child after living together a year, but the state took it away for child neglect - that's when the trouble started
They said she couldn't have it back until she went through drug rehab, had an apartment and a cash flow; "that's a heck of a lot to ask of a woman who just turned 19," said her father, then he looked out the window
Do you wonder at such intimate information, shared by strangers on a medium of mass transportation? I swear these were the details we discussed, rolling through the smoky blue ridged Appalachian dusk, on the bus - riding on the bus
Met a boy on the bus, he'd come 2000 miles across the country just to join the military, cuz in his neighborhood in Florida folks would shoot at him for his gym shoes
It gets more complicated: 17 years old and 5 foot 2, with an earring in his nose, on his ebony skin was a blue homemade gang tattoo; his mama said "the safest place for you is boot camp in Seattle"
We took turns waking each other in the middle of the night for transfers in Knoxville and St. Louis; everywhere he went he carried a blanket under his arm until a man from Lexington called him 'Linus;' somewhere in Kansas I got in the wrong line and on the wrong bus, he got me on the right one just in time
Do you wonder at a bond so instantaneous, shared by strangers on a transitory circumstance so miscellaneous? I swear this was the nature of our trust, blowing through the wheat fields, golden great plains dust, on the bus - riding on the bus
Met a woman on the bus, she'd come 2000 miles across the country just to get her husband out of a jam, she had to sell her paintings and possessions to pay the bills 'til he got sober
It gets more complicated: on the reservation she would hunt with her hat; she'd throw it in the air and rabbits thought it was a hawk, they'd run for cover inside of hollow logs, and she'd get them out using a pointy stick, she said it's "messy but effective"She taught me a secret Indian recipe for getting rid of the gamey flavor: "boil 3 times, throw away the water." Most importantly when you put it in the oven add a package of 'Lipton's Instant Onion Soup Mix'
Do you wonder at such tangential esoterica shared by strangers on the asphalt of America; I swear these were the details we discussed, winding through cathedral pines, north woods frost, on the bus - riding on the bus
We're riding on the bus, there's a lot to discuss; it's a great big bus, room for all of us - riding on the bus
It gets more complicated: they already had a child after living together a year, but the state took it away for child neglect - that's when the trouble started
They said she couldn't have it back until she went through drug rehab, had an apartment and a cash flow; "that's a heck of a lot to ask of a woman who just turned 19," said her father, then he looked out the window
Do you wonder at such intimate information, shared by strangers on a medium of mass transportation? I swear these were the details we discussed, rolling through the smoky blue ridged Appalachian dusk, on the bus - riding on the bus
Met a boy on the bus, he'd come 2000 miles across the country just to join the military, cuz in his neighborhood in Florida folks would shoot at him for his gym shoes
It gets more complicated: 17 years old and 5 foot 2, with an earring in his nose, on his ebony skin was a blue homemade gang tattoo; his mama said "the safest place for you is boot camp in Seattle"
We took turns waking each other in the middle of the night for transfers in Knoxville and St. Louis; everywhere he went he carried a blanket under his arm until a man from Lexington called him 'Linus;' somewhere in Kansas I got in the wrong line and on the wrong bus, he got me on the right one just in time
Do you wonder at a bond so instantaneous, shared by strangers on a transitory circumstance so miscellaneous? I swear this was the nature of our trust, blowing through the wheat fields, golden great plains dust, on the bus - riding on the bus
Met a woman on the bus, she'd come 2000 miles across the country just to get her husband out of a jam, she had to sell her paintings and possessions to pay the bills 'til he got sober
It gets more complicated: on the reservation she would hunt with her hat; she'd throw it in the air and rabbits thought it was a hawk, they'd run for cover inside of hollow logs, and she'd get them out using a pointy stick, she said it's "messy but effective"She taught me a secret Indian recipe for getting rid of the gamey flavor: "boil 3 times, throw away the water." Most importantly when you put it in the oven add a package of 'Lipton's Instant Onion Soup Mix'
Do you wonder at such tangential esoterica shared by strangers on the asphalt of America; I swear these were the details we discussed, winding through cathedral pines, north woods frost, on the bus - riding on the bus
We're riding on the bus, there's a lot to discuss; it's a great big bus, room for all of us - riding on the bus
Credits:
Words & Music by Billy Jonas
2000 Billy Jonas Bang-A-Bucket Music, BMI