Music

Shirts and Skins   Run Time: 6:02

Written by Bill Mallonee for CyBrenJoJosh (BMI) ©2003

i thought you grew up too fast
but that's the way the story goes
i've a picture of your mom and you
the background looks like snow
i know the snow well it's not really there
but that's what it does suggest
and the smile upon your young face
well it looks so tentative

the winners and losers
the same in the end
i was hoping for a perfect world
no shirts no skins

sometimes i like to dream
that you are smiling down on me
and all those things are really true
we say we believe
so i looked out at my riches
there was none for which to live
looked inside at all my poverty
s'all that i had to give

all those tears we cry
for everybody else
really are the ones we
saved up for ourselves
and the hardest part is letting go
of everything 'round here
the treasures make you laugh and cry
and all ya hold most dear

Did You Know?

The song was actually inspired by a photograph of Bill's son, Josh, and Brenda, Bill's wife, as the lyrics suggests. Bill says, "The photo sparked this long train of thoughts... life moving in rapid successions and patterns and we have our souls made small and sucked dry by greed and competition (from day one it's shirts and skins/winners and losers)... it's all in here... it's the closing piece on the record... probably THE most "symphonic" and cacophonous ending I've ever done... I think it may be one of my best rock songs... still get a few chills from hearing it... a joy to do "live!"

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