I woke up one night, wrote down a bunch of things I’ve seen out on my street, and went back to sleep. I never know what I’m going to find in the morning when that happens, but this time they rhymed and kind of made sense, so here you go.

Instruments: guitars, bass, organ

Years ago when the kids were young
We decided that we needed a suburban home
We found a fixer upper on a cul de sac
The paint was peeling the windows were cracked
But the neighborhood had real good schools
A playground and a swimming pool
We signed the deed and the deal went down
All the neighbors came around, saying:

Welcome to the neighborhood
The grass is green and life is good
Paradise on a dead end street
Raise those kids up right

Mark next door had a garden back
Grow lights strung to a wooden shack
He used to bring us brownies with a bandage on his head
He set himself on fire smoking in bed
And on the other side was a lawn care freak
Mowing his grass twice every week
Then the lady with the bunny moved in then
She was making dirty movies with all her beefy friends

Welcome to the neighborhood
The grass is green and life is good
Paradise on a dead end street
Raise those kids up right

The boys across the street were on their own 
Since their mom found a girlfriend and ran away from home
The HOA used to give them holy hell
I guess they didn’t trim their bushes very well
My man Juan lived down on the end
He was a real hard worker and a real good friend
But his heart gave out when he lost his home
His no good son took out a no good loan

Welcome to the neighborhood
The grass is green and life is good
Paradise on a dead end street
Raise those kids up right

Now the years rolled by and my kids moved on
All those old neighbors are dead or gone
Now it’s young professionals and there’s no doubt
I am the guy THEY talk about
I’m gluing solar panels to my beat up van
I’ve got a tree house and a bluegrass band
I smoke my pipe out on my front porch stoop 
Wondering where can I put a beehive and a chicken coop

Welcome to the neighborhood
Life is sweet and the grass is good
Paradise on a dead end street
Raise those kids up right
Raise those kids up right
Raise those kids up right