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Where Bottles Break

"Where the Bottles Break" by John Gorka 1991 from "Jack's Crows"

I walk where the bottles break
and the blacktop still comes back for more,
I walk where the bottles break
and the blacktop still comes back

I live where the neighbors yell
and their music comes up through the floor,
I live where the neighbors yell
and their music wakes me up

Life beyond the playground fence
is serious as basketball,
Life beyond the playground fence
is serious.

Four blocks from the steel mill blasts,
I paint my claim up on the wall,
Four blocks from the steel mill blasts,
I paint my claim

From my end of the Southside drag,
it's common thought to call the cops,
Further west it's been gentrified,
they turned biker bars into flowershops,
I kind of miss those Harley guys,
who rarely did a body harm,
Mostly like to drink and shout
and flash the pictures on their arms

It happens when the money comes,
the wild and poor get pushed around,
It happens when the money comes,
the poor get pushed.
The buyers come from somewhere else
and raise the rent so you can't hide,
The buyers come from out of state
and they raise the rent.

Buy low, sell high,
get rich and you still die
Money talks, people jump,
ask how high low life Donald What's-his-name,
And who cares? 
I don't want to know what his girlfriend doesn't wear,
It's a shame that people at work
want to hear about this kind of jerk.

These people aren't saints,
no, people just are,
They want to feel like they count,
they want to ride in their own car,
People aren't saints,
no, people just are,
They want to feel like they count,
they want to ride in their own car,

I just want to make enough
to buy this town and keep it rough,
I just want to make enough
to buy this town.

Buy low, sell high,
get rich and you still die
Money talks, people jump,
ask how high low life Donald What's-his-name,

Life beyond the playground fence
is serious as basketball,
Life beyond the playground fence
is serious