Things We Don't Tell the Kids

Things We Don't Tell the Kids [Intro] (soft, easy — a little wry, a little wistful) [Verse 1] Me and the boys by the back door, before the bell would ring Front door too if the teacher wasn't looking Ashtray built right into the armrest Lighting up at thirty thousand feet Car had a lighter , push it in and wait car doors had ashtrays in every door. Even the hospital had a room for it Nobody blinked, nobody said a word [Chorus] We'd smoke by the back door, smoke on the plane Smoke at the hospital, nobody thought it strange Now it's a whole generation's secret Packed up and put away [Verse 2] Corner store had them lined up behind the counter Export A, Player's, du Maurier in a row Grandpa had his Camels, same pack every time Dad had his own, Mom kept her Peter Jackson in her purse Nobody carded you if you were tall enough Send the kid for a pack, they'd hand it right over [Chorus 2] We'd smoke by the back door, smoke on the plane Smoke at the hospital, nobody thought it strange Now it's a whole generation's secret Packed up and put away [Verse 3] After a while I did it myself Bought the tobacco in the can, bought the machine for the table Load the tube, pack it down, pull the lever Little factory right there in the kitchen Always kept a piece of bread in the can Kept the tobacco from drying out Cheaper that way, and it gave you something to do Sit there of an evening, making tomorrow's pack [Bridge] Can't tell that to the kids today They'd never believe it, never understand A world where everyone lit up without a thought A generation that won't come back [Chorus 3] We'd smoke by the back door, smoke on the plane Smoke at the hospital, nobody thought it strange Now it's a whole generation's secret Packed up and put away [Outro] A generation packed it up, put it away Now the kids just vape instead... [End]'