Youth on Record – Flobots.org

Keith S | September 7, 2011 | 0 Comments

What Our Students Have to Say

Lyrics from some of our students’ songs

by Nathan Schmit

The young people that we work with in residential treatment deal with many of the same issues as you and I: fear, loss, heartache, attraction, anxiety about the future, overcoming, etc. The following lyrics are taken from songs that they have written. These words represent windows into the, oftentimes, difficult lives that they live. At Youth On Record and Flobots.org, we work hard to ensure that our students’ voices are heard and to provide an environment in which they feel comfortable expressing themselves. We believe that each perspective has value and the sharing of these perspectives enrich the lives of us all.

“When life gives you lemons, you got to make lemonade/I’ve seen your worst fears, don’t ever be afraid/Life is a gamble, take a chance, roll the dice/The heat, throw it off, dry ice/Nothing comes easy, but you gotta keep it real/Keep on keepin’ on, I know how you feel/Stars in the sky, when they flyin’ they be shootin’/You just gotta do the same, most important keep on movin’.” DTM and Solo One from “Keep It Movin‘.”

“I wake up by the touch of her skin/And I know it was an accident/But I’m glad I’m the one she kicks in her sleep/You feel like home to me.” Gerard from “Home to Me.”

“Believe it or not girl, I miss you so much/I miss your touch, I miss your love, I miss us/I keep it to myself, but I messed all up/I mistrust[ed] us, erupt, my heart became crushed/Now you got me thinking we should’ve never broke up/Choked up, we were meant to be together forever/One-hundred and twenty percent/I believe that no thief can take what we got, it won’t leave.” Solo One from “I Miss You Much.”

“I wanna be like the people you see on TV/I want to play, like the players in the NBA/I want to grind and spark flames, like the gold winners of the X games/I wanna be like the people I see, but I really [just] wanna be me.” Manny and Keith from “Flava-Son.”

“I’m a psycho that lusts for dough/I got stacks but I need some more/They tell me to take meds and I say what for/They said because you got a mental illness … /I guess I’m just the illest, I guess I’m just the illest.” Jose from “The Illest.”

“Street lights they shine/Spot lights on the night life/Lonely, not looking for a good time/Strollin’ ‘cause it’s a blackout and you lose count of the heart beats that keep time/For all you know it’s a one man show/And you’re playing in line/But don’t forget the way she smiles/And don’t ever doubt it was worth all the while.” Quinn from “Streetlights.”

“Its World War Three/I know the fans in my life and my family/I can’t survive without any help/You don’t know all the heartache and abuse that I’ve felt/Don’t pick out the wrong fam ‘cause it’s all a trick/Its DJ Krazy J here singing you the sick flick/Don’t cry man ‘cause I know what you’ve been through/Don’t worry man, I got left out too/Yo it’s me tryin’ to stay out of negativity/Come grow with me and we can try to stay positively.” DJ Krazy J from “Rap.”

In the following issues our students will be sharing with the readers of Colorado Music Buzz how they feel music has influenced the ways in which they cope with the various challenges before them. See you next month!