Amen Breaks Quiet Hollers

I blamed a lot of things on his death, I know
With bitter jealousy on my breath
That I couldn’t let go
I went out, I made mistakes—so what?
Everything delicate breaks
If you give it long enough

He cleaned up nice
Got dirty real good— like me
Sweating through his dress blues
On the floor of the punk house
From the triple C’s
And I still hear him singing, alone in his truck
“Rise Above”
Words that burned like needles
A tattoo signed with love

We were tired of the abuse
Tried to stop it—it was no use
No use, no use

Thought I saw his face in a crowd and I couldn’t speak
May have said his name aloud
I felt it drift across my cheek
What did you take and hide away home
From those holy lands
And who do I see walking you back there
Over the rolling sands?
And when "Amen" breaks the crowd
Someone will say he’s in heaven now
And I will show with my eyes that I care
But, brother, it’s only satellites up there