It's been a long time since I looked backwards
and I'm-a tell my tale in no matter of fact words
Some plot is maybe gonna make its way through

So let's chart our course for the calmer waters
see you can't start a prayer without Our Father
...who had a baby boy back in one-nine-eight and two

Now daddy was a rolling stone,
he was a man of God but man he was a soldier
Filled up some mighty big damn boots

And my momma she was a shining beacon,
she would hold us tight when time got fleetin'
and we all knew what we had to do

'cause they just say "hey-o it's time to roll"
and we's got t' roll
And this lonely life was all we ever knew

So now take two; I'm turning ten
I'm all by myself, all alone again
just me and the ever-present boxes in my room

And the irony of my lonely party
is I never did prefer the company of heartache
just as soon build the walls of my own tomb

'cause you see friends say "come" and friends say "go"
and they would disappear before you know
so getting attached, for me, it never was of no use

So I would say "my name's addamn I'm from nowhere
midwest nowhere; got no home there
but I'd like to think that I'm going somewhere if'n it's all the same"
to
you
I just say "hey-o it's time to roll"
and so we got t' roll
And this lonely life was all we ever knew

Well I never thought I'd make my way to seventeen
though in retrospect it wasn't as difficult as it seemed
I'd finally built a troop but I never did figure I'd be able to keep 'em

And let me tell you now that all that shit that we done did
I wouldn't give one red cent to do it again
Man, them days are dead and gone and they ain't comin' back

Oh no, no, but we got down and we aimed high
We owned them streets in the night time sky
talkin' lock-step dropping oh-my-my my-my

And we was gonna live for the moment and die by the sword
then we burned them bridges with no regard
but we held on fast to that final chord
I said we held on fast to that final chord
like give me one last chance to get; get me some more
It wasn't staple shit we went for something more
and we felt that beat from the call to the gate with all four on the floor

we said "hey-o it's time to roll"
so we got t' roll
And this lonely life was all we ever knew

At twenty-five years I knew I knew my station
and I reserve the right to no reservations but believe me when I say
I never knew that I'd know you

and all God's children say "hey-o it's time to roll"
so we got t' roll