This Is Why We Fight - The Decemberists

People always wanna know The reason for what they consider senseless violence in the hood I'ma break it down for you This is why we ride And this is why we ride And this is why we ride I gotta say this clear, I gotta say this loud I should've been dead, don't know how I'm here now I should've been dead, damn it forty years ago How the fuck did I survive? Something that I'll never know I played the crack game, gang bang, guns Motherfuckers told me I'd never see twenty-one I come from L.A, deep in the heart of the hood Every night the bullets fly, this shit ain't Hollywood Could be your best friend, mother or brother dead Cops can't do shit, these streets are blood red So we leave the block and we load the guns And we want revenge, until revenge comes And this is why we ride And this is why we ride I made it out the hood, I got a great life But them bullets fly every motherfucking night Another kid dies every motherfucking night Another mother cries every motherfucking night Ghettoes of deep crack, made to never escape A place to store the poor, made to never escape They're all over the world, people go to die Murders go unsolved, I understand why They remove hope and then we sell dope Pain and poverty has us at each other's throat Families are broken and so we gangbang A bit form of unity but most love some of us ever seen And this is how we die And this is why we ride Oh man, coming up and surviving in the ghetto The smallest argument Goes from little drama to big drama Next thing you know, somebody's dead I don't think you can understand If you've never been in your streets and held your best friend in your arms Your child in your arms And watch them breathe their last breath 'Cause somebody shot 'em dead in the streets You ain't thinking of calling the police You want revenge And you want it now I gotta be honest with you If somebody were to kill me, shoot me right now My last words wouldn't be, "Peace" It would be, "Get those motherfuckers" (And this is why we ride) This song is dedicated to all of you who has lost somebody to street violence And this is why we ride And this is how we die

For this I was chosen, because I fear nothing With confidence I tread through the dead of the night Off to another war-torn, faraway battlefield Wherein lies a daemonic enemy horde On this day, I decide to anoint my fists Engaging them in the mode of power and war Stopping at nothing that's short of fulfilling my destiny Willing to die and I will after you for what I believe A desperate avenger striking fear in their hearts Invading their dreams before the day even starts Whet with your blood, I sharpen my sword No turning the other cheek like a coward Come tomorrow I may lay down and die But not this day Sent on an unholy quest To reduce all those who resist To the size of their shriveled up souls And scatter them like grist I vanquished the strangleholds that the netherworld sets for me The last request of my life is to die killing my enemies Bathed in blood up to the horses' bridle It's death to retreat, there's no chance of survival Whet with your blood, I sharpen my sword No turning the other cheek like a coward Come tomorrow I may lay down and die But not this day This day we fight! This day we fight! This day we fight! Strip the fallen heroes Finish off the wounded Collect the spoils of war and send them back dead This day we fight! This day we fight! Fight, fight This day we fight - Fight, fight Fight, fight This day I fight!

Live, don't breath, no You want someone to do it for you I'm doing my best to ignore you I don't think you're lazy, you just need a push Get off of the couch and quit drinking Busch, just Push don't rest much You know you just ask, I'd be there in a flash I just wish you'd do the same for me You know that we're friends But you're in a dead end And this is why we can't have nice things Push, don't rest, much I know that it's none of my business I don't think you're very ambitious Cause you're running 'round in circles with no end in sight I'm doing my best but you're falling behind, so- Live, don't, breath, no You know you just ask, I'd be there in a flash I just wish you'd do the same for me You know that we're friends But you're in a dead end And this is why we can't have nice things Nice things Nice things Nice things

It was so nice throwing big parties Jump into the pool from the balcony Everyone swimming in a champagne sea And there are no rules when you show up here Bass beat rattling the chandelier Feeling so Gatsby for that whole year So why'd you have to rain on my parade? I'm shaking my head, I'm locking the gates This is why we can't have nice things, darling Because you break them, I had to take them away This is why we can't have nice things, honey (oh) Did you think I wouldn't hear all the things you said about me? This is why we can't have nice things It was so nice being friends again There I was giving you a second chance But you stabbed me in the back while shaking my hand And therein lies the issue, friends don't try to trick you Get you on the phone and mind-twist you And so I took an axe to a mended fence But I'm not the only friend you've lost lately (mmm-mmm) If only you weren't so shady This is why we can't have nice things, darling Because you break them, I had to take them away This is why we can't have nice (nice things) things (baby), honey (oh) Did you think I wouldn't hear all the things you said about me? This is why we can't have- Here's a toast to my real friends They don't care about the he said, she said And here's to my baby He ain't reading what they call me lately And here's to my mama Had to listen to all this drama And here's to you 'Cause forgiveness is a nice thing to do Hahaha, I can't even say it with a straight face! This is why we can't have nice things, darling (darling) Because you break them, I had to take them away This is why we can't have nice (uh-uh) things (oh no), honey (baby, oh) Did you think I wouldn't hear all the things you said about me? This is why we can't have nice things, darling (oh) And here's to my real friends (Oh) because you break them, I had to take them And here's to my baby (Oh) nice things, honey They didn't care about the he said, she said Did you think I wouldn't hear all the things you said about me? This is why we can't have nice things

River run And brother row And the ease between us, The calm below The rings, these twisted things cast off in the arms of those long low aways The lights, the river's striped, and will we not belong to those long low and lazy Surround us Oh, drown us A wailing whine, a Wendigo A waltzing night, oh bending road Me, I couldn't sleep, caught in some long that would seem to all but all the song But here, we river swim to wash away the light that seems to all but all be found Surround me Oh, drown me

O Philomena You in a tawdry gown Lean to your window Let slip a ribbon down A cure to your boredom If only you'd let me go down Down down Long summer days Can lead to lazy vices Boys all at idle Left to their own devices Open up your linen lap And let me go down Down down All that I wanted in the world Was just to live to see a naked girl But I found I quickly bored I wanted more I wanted more So I'll be your candle I'll be your statuette. I'll be your lashing Loop of leatherette O Philomena if only You'd let me go down. Down down All that I wanted in the world Was just to live to see a naked girl But I found I quickly bored I wanted more Oh so much more So I'll be your candle I'll be your statuette. I'll be your lashing Loop of leatherette O Philomena if only You'd let me go down. Down down Go down down down Go down Go down

So we already wrecked the rental car And I've already lost my way But feet entombed in this tourist bar For today, anyway So lay me down on the cobblestone And unfurl this aching [?] The streets are built on ancient bones And the crib of the rest Won't the mistral Blow it all away? Won't the mistral Blow away? Won't the mistral Blow it all away? Won't it blow, won't it blow, won't it blow So it's me and you and the baby boy And a ford to share the weight Breaking out a little joy Blown aways, back to space Won't the mistral Blow it all away? Won't the mistral Blow away? Won't the mistral Blow it all away? Won't it blow, won't it blow, won't it blow Won't the mistral Blow it all away? Won't the mistral Blow away? Won't the mistral Blow it all away? Won't it blow, won't it blow, won't it blow Won't the mistral Blow it all away? Won't the mistral Blow away?

On a winter's Sunday I go To clear away the snow and green the ground below April, all an ocean away, is this the better way to spend the day? Keeping the winter at bay What were the words I meant to say before you left? When I could see your breath lead where you were going to Maybe I should just let it be and maybe it will all come back to me Sing, oh, January hymn How I lived a childhood in snow And all my teens in tow, stuffed in strata of clothes Pale the winter days after dark Wandering the gray memorial park, a fleeting beating of hearts What were the words I meant to say before you left? When I could see her breath lead where she was going to Maybe I should just let it be and maybe it will all come back to me Sing, oh, Janu, oh January, oh