1704038 (Looking Glass)

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Lyric

The Prince of Mississippi made a come back on the river 
I hid behind the pages of The Age of Reason 
Chef Boyardee, in for cooking meth, said I looked a little crazy 
"Y'know, with the hair and the glasses," he said 

On our bunks in kinfolk corner 
The girls on my arms went gangster 
and the blues took off their gloves 

when I came in 
the man gave me back some dignity 
after the strip search 
gave me welcome anonymity 

gave me a bar of soap and half a toothbrush in a paper grocery bag 

and a looking glass to see what I was made of 

I didn't plan to make a statement when I took my tray for dinner 
too close, for Kevin, to Casper and the crew 
If you came in without a place to hide inside your skin, my brothers 
I guess it matters 
where we eat this boiled crow 

In the chains they made of color 
The girls on my arms went gangster 
And the blues took off their gloves 

When I came in 
they didn't sing me loser lullabies 
they showed me courtesy for time they thought I'd served 

And when I fasted thereafter, they brought hard boiled eggs and apples 

and a looking glass to see what I was made of 

when I came in, it was Christmastime 
through the gates in the back of a squad car 
with a driver playing Tangerine Dream 

Big ben, Chef Michael, Li'l wolverine 
that guy with his past cut into his face 
in alienation green 

the supply crew and me 
doing laundry by the ton 
like tai chi 

I untied 300 knots from bed sheets 

but when we came in 
they took the laces from our shoes 
and gave us orange see-through plastic shower sandals