"all irish cousins"

"all irish cousins"
dwelling on somebody else's past by jake kilroy.

it was an empire of boys with denim jackets and fast cars
and girls with eyes that batted like the wings of a drowning angel,
all while the law had it in for them 'cause they were young.
sure, there were still arcades and boardwalks and even circus clowns
that hung around in pool halls and surf vans and an endless summer.

but then came the tiny apartments and the linoleum floors.
then came the televisions with bunny ears and static.
then came the swift anxiety and swifter drags of smoke.

so the ties felt like nooses, the shoes felt like bricks,
the women were mothers, and the handshakes were pricks.
the world changed, all along a watch tower,
as the bugs were sold and the beards were shaved,
and the late-night drinking came to stain the credit bills.

but all the world was a stage,
and everything was in flames,
so i played a pogues record
and summoned her like the devil.