Always Coming Back Home To You - ATMOSPHERE

To all my killers and my hundred dollar billers

To emo kids that got too many feelings

He held the register open while he counted her change

I was next in line which meant I was invisible

From where I stood I could see that the till was full

He didn’t look the type to play superhero

So I stepped forth and paid for my cigarettes

Crept out the store’s front door to chase a little breath

Bangles in my head, shake the song off

Another manic Monday night, its gonna be a long walk

A car pulled up, a fixed up Cutlass

A woman and a child climbed out and left it running

They went inside of the deli, placed an order

With the extra dollar fifty bottled water cause the daughter’s picky

When they came out mommy gave me a glance

That said man can love an angel but he’s got to take the chance

Already knew the deal, I lit one up and walked

So they got back in they Oldsmobile, belted up, and took off

Thug love on the corner by the Walgreens

Looking at me like I’m just another square Saltine

As I get closer I notice they showing each other sketches

Out of their notebooks, reminded me of my old roots

I walk past with a nod and a reminisce

Swear to god hip hop and comic books was my genesis

Respect the life and the fashions of the children

It’s the only culture I’ve got, exactly what we’ve been building

All of a sudden I’m in front of some man

No, he’s a young’un, but he’s got a gun in his hand

He looks fifteen, he looks frantic, no, he looks afraid

Immediately apprehensive 'til I heard him say

«Do you want this?

It’s not mine, I promise

I found it on my block in between a couple garages

Didn’t want to leave it for a child to stumble over

I don’t even know how to hold it»

It was a thirty eight, the poor man’s machete

Held it in my hand, thinking damn man it’s heavier than expected

Wedged it behind my belt buckle

Knowing that it’s evil, even thought that I could smell trouble

The extra strength felt weak

But over there on the corner saw what I needed

And proceeded to cross the street

Put the heat in the mail box to lose it

Figured that the post office knows what’s best to do with it

Mosey down the road, thinking about the old

I used to roam this zone through two feet of snow

Right here, this used to be a record shop

I’ve gotten love, I’ve gotten drunk, I’ve gotten beat up in that parking lot

I’ve had my Lake Street pride for 3 decades

These alleyways, and these streetlights have seen my best days

Before I was a germ learning how to misbehave

All the way to the grave, south side is my resting place

Took a right on Lyndale I’m getting near

But then the road became empty and the people disappeared

The clouds ran away, opened up the sky

And one by one I watched every constellation die

And there I was frozen, standing in my backyard

Face to face, eye to eye, staring at the last star

I should’ve known, walked all the way home

To find that she wasn’t here, I was still all alone

No matter where I am, no matter what I do

I’m always coming back home to you

They can leave me for dead they can take away my true

I’m always coming back home to you

Through the lies and the sins that ride the wind that blew

I’m always coming back home to you

As sure as the life in the garden that you grew

I’m always coming back home to you

No matter where I am, no matter what I do

I’m always coming back home to you

If only I had known what you already knew

I’m always coming back home to you

From the heaven I’ve had to the hell I been through

I’m always coming back home to you

I’m always coming back home to you