Jewel – Boy Needs a Bike

Papa works in the shop till eight,
Mom’s on the phone and she’s kind of irrate.
Sally’s doing somersaults on the lawn.
Pa slams open the front screen door just to scare Ma.
She says "What the hell’d you do that for?"
He washes his dirty hands in the sink.

Things around the table are kind of rough,
Ma says it’s Pa, Pa says times are just tough.
Me and Sally don’t say much of nothin’ at all.
The garage door light brightens up the night.
Pa always works on cars when he gets in a fight,
as though he could figure out that woman
by working on that old car.

He said "A car could cure any problem at all,
cause seeing all those parts makes a fight look so small."
But I wish he’d put me and Sally
in the back seat and drive us away.
That’s when he sits me down,
say’s he’s going to teach me about life.
He said "A man needs a car,
and a boy needs a bike."
I got my first taste of freedom
beneath the light of the moon.

But if it were me,
I’d have the guts.
I’d put to test
those bolts and nuts,
and I’d ride away,
so fast,
so far.

We put away our tools, we go back inside.
Mom feels left out and now she’s starting to cry.
I wonder if all girls are crazy this way?
"I wish your Pap would just get a spine."
I said, "I know it’s little, but you can borrow mine."
He just smiles and says, "Your Mom means well, son."
Most times are good,
it’s just some that are mean.
But love makes up for times in between.
He had a tear in his eye as he took Mama’s hand,
said one day I’d understand.

But if it were me,
I’d have the guts.
I’d put to test,
those bolts and nuts.
And I’d ride away.
So fast.
So far.

Ride away,
So fast,
so far.

Ride away.