back in Philly

back in Philly

by Paul Perry

 

we used to carry shanks

and played half-ball

and stick ball

and our mothers worked as hairdressers

and housewives

and our fathers worked as bricklayers

and roofers

and spoke english with italian accents.

at night they hung out at italian cafes were the mob ran numbers

and made excellent roast beef sandwiches.

 

we used to carry shanks

and wanted to be tough guys.

so we drove old cadillacs

and got into street fights

bar fights

gang fights

and i remember getting my ass kicked

and on occasion kicking some ass.

we hung out on street corners and

drank beer

smoked cigarettes

scrounged roaches off the floor

and to kill the munchies

we ate pretzels

and cheese steaks at pats.

as the philly girls played stuck up and chewed gum we tried to get them back into the house of whoever’s parents were working.

 

we used to carry shanks

and we drove our cars into jersey and partied with the jersey girls and beat up the jersey hicks.

we were bad asses from south philly

and we got our cars impounded for not stopping at stops signs that stood behind short trees.(all the open beer in the car never favored our situation).

and while others lived in bubbles

we walked back.

down highways

through back roads

across bridges

through the summer heat

in rain

through the winter’s merciless cold

in snow,

all to get our punk asses back home.