Joseph Merrick - coffin-dodger

Thirteen stops on the school run Last in line for the throne Mamma's putting out fires again Seven's free to roam The living room is a war zone Second base is a drag Kick a can through the wasteland now Hear the echo back And dad is over the limit Since they let him go He tries to set an example but It's tell instead of show Well they asked him why'd you do it Well try me as a man You know if you'd been through it Then you might understand And how could it be my fault When I do all that I can To teach you all a lesson And keep a hold of your hand Trying hard to be silent Try to hold it in The principal on my back again Teach him some respect There's a cabinet in the store room Keys under the bed Listening to the voices some Things were never said Well they asked me why'd you do it Well try me as a man You know if you'd been through it Then you might understand And how could it be my fault When I do all that I can To teach you all a lesson You put a gun in my hand Commissioner in the spotlight And ticker tape in the rain The jury ruling was oversight Guilty all the same And offer words of condolence Sending thoughts and prayers Who'd have thought he was violent Such a pretty stare Well they asked me why'd you do it Like they can't understand When all I ever wanted Was to try to be a man But I can't be what you wanted And I've done all that I can To teach you all a lesson You put a gun in my hand Now it's out of my hands So try me So try me As a man

It's not what you say It's how you say it I'll cut copy paste in the edit But these words are pouring out Stop myself before I say it And better luck talking to a wall Or picking up a one way call Clock set to your time Always falling behind No it's fine No it's fine It's just that sometimes I wish you needed me more Want you to let me in the room But you won't open the door You want me to know what you want before you want it Trapped in a box I can't unlock it But sometimes I wish you needed me more And sometimes I wish you needed me more Locked in a war of wills Antlers silently clashing Stirring up the dust What's the use in asking But I want you to meet me in the room I can't tell you what to do Take me in your stride Always falling behind No it's fine No I'm fine But I saw you draw a line with your short straw And I try to lend a hand brushing off the sand And I wish I knew how you wanted me to love you And I wish I loved you just like that But sometimes I wish you needed me more Want you to let me in the room But you won't open the door You want me to know what you want before you want it Trapped in a box I can't unlock it But sometimes I wish you needed me more But sometimes I wish you needed me more

Some of them are gone And some will remain Far beyond the edges Of your dreams And do you understand That living Is not what it seems Don't hold out much hope When you're in the thick Of it all For once it's not me That can feel it Nothing at all Lean on my shoulder And say nothing at all I'm looking backwards Flicking though myself Like I'm someone else And you in that great divide Sparring with your pride No one can decide for you If he was the final straw You said you wanted more Than money ever gave to you Where do we go from here The climb, or a thin veneer A thin veneer A thin veneer A thin veneer