Barely Breathing

The Hold Steady - Barely Breathing

You shoulda seen em just after midnight
Well they were down on their luck and still high from a street fight
Told it like it wasnt really much of a big thing
To be out on the tiles and barely breathing
We were barely breathing
Showing up at shows like you care about the scene still
Where were you when the blood spilled?
They almost killed me
It got pretty sketchy
We tried to push forward
Now were pointing at the scoreboard and it feels so amazing
And the crowds going crazy
Summer 88 was all heat and intensity
Saw the Youth Of Today at the 7th Street Entry
There were skins in the pit, some of them tried to kill me
Same club next summer, and now theyre called Shelter
And after the show I spoke with the singer
And he tried to hand me a pamphlet about Hare Krishna
I said 'You gotta be kidding'
Who the hell is the blue guy?
But then he said something special
Using only his eyes
The kids are all distracted
[02:22.57]No one wins at violent shows
The kids are a distraction