[Intro: Chicano-rap male MC, low and steady] Quarter to five, lot behind the hardware store Twenty of us leanin' on the wall like before [Verse 1: Chicano-rap male MC, steady lowrider flow] Every mornin' same routine, a thermos and a hoodie on Twenty men against a wall before the sun has even shown Here come Haskins in the white truck, window down, he points and picks Strongest backs and youngest faces, two for drywall, three for bricks Cash at sundown, that's the promise, that's the only contract signed Worked him eighteen days in August and we never saw a dime Said come Friday, then said Monday, then he wouldn't take the call Then his truck went past the lot and didn't slow for us at all [Hook: Chicano-rap male MC, full force, rubbery bass line] Now you in the pickup line Standin' where we stood at a quarter to five Every truck that passes, you wave like it's mine Smile real nice, you got a pickup line [Verse 2: Chicano-rap male MC, colder, crisp snare] So we pooled it in a coffee can, twenty dollars every week Me and Chuy, Lalo, Memo and the twins from Seventh Street Bought a beat-up flatbed with a cracked windshield and a dent Bought the saws and bought the nail guns out of what we had for rent Painted on the doors in white, Hermanos Framing, that's the crew Underbid him on a duplex, then we underbid him on two Every builder in the county heard we finish when we say And we pay our guys on Fridays, cash, the old-fashioned way [Bridge: Chicano-rap male MC, bass glide, low and slow] First he lost the duplex, then he lost the crew Then he lost the white truck and the yard went too Then one cold mornin' in October I was rollin' by the store And there's Haskins with a thermos where we used to lean before [Hook: Chicano-rap male MC, full force, rubbery bass line] Now you in the pickup line Standin' where we stood at a quarter to five Every truck that passes, you wave like it's mine Smile real nice, you got a pickup line [Verse 3: Chicano-rap male MC, proud chicano-rap flow] Rolled my window down, he didn't know me at the start Then he read the name on the door and his face went kinda dark Every man along that wall was lookin' at me, then at him I could pass him like he passed us, let the mornin' do him in But my mama raised a framer and a framer always pays So I told him, get in, drywall, cash on Friday, eight to eight He sat quiet in the back, he swung a hammer like a kid And on Friday when I paid him, he just stared at what I did Took the bills and counted twice, said nobody ever paid him on the day I said, I know, that's why I do it, now get in, we on our way [Final Hook: Chicano-rap male MC, full force] Now you in the pickup line Standin' where we stood at a quarter to five Every truck that passes, you wave like it's mine Smile real nice, you got a pickup line [End]
