[Intro: dhol and strings, the kick lands hard] Two interviews, one tie, and a train fare One of us went in, and one of us went somewhere [Verse 1] Nineteen, Uncle Ray got us two interviews Me and Terrell in our cousins' church shoes Bank downtown said dental and a pension and a chair Said be there at eight, tuck the shirt, cut the hair Terrell walked in at eight with a part in his fade I walked to Dolo's basement with a beat that I made Momma didn't talk to me from March into June Said the bank's a sure thing, and the mic's a balloon Slept on Dolo's couch with a space heater on Wrote a hundred hooks, and I only kept one Every time I saw Terrell, he was in a pressed shirt Every time he saw me, I was wearing last week's dirt He'd dap me on the corner like a brother would Never once said told you so, and he probably could [Hook] Somewhere there's a me with a badge and a lawn Never missed a payment, never up till dawn He's a safe bet, God bless him, he's doing fine I bet the house on a long shot, and the long shot's mine [Verse 2] Skip the hard part, y'all can guess how that shit went Two labels, one lawyer, and a car that I slept in Then one song hit like a brick through a window Kids in towns I never heard of knew the words to the intro First real check came, folded twice in my coat Walked into the bank downtown with a lump in my throat Teller saw the number and she went and got a man Gray suit, gold tie, and a wedding band on his hand It was Terrell, branch manager, name on the glass He looked at the check, looked at me, and he laughed [Hook] Somewhere there's a me with a badge and a lawn Never missed a payment, never up till dawn He's a safe bet, God bless him, he's doing fine I bet the house on a long shot, and the long shot's mine [Verse 3] He walked me to his office, ran the check through himself Showed me pictures of his kids lined up on the shelf House with a yard and a dog named Judge Wife on the school board, and she don't budge I said, every time I failed, I used to think about you You're the me that tucked his shirt in, and the me that came through He said, every time I'm stuck in traffic, I play your tape I'm the me that never jumped, and I wonder how it'd taste [Warm older male voice, sung, one line only] I'm doing fine, man, I'm doing fine [Verse 4] Then he stamped the deposit and he slid it back slow Said, now your money's in my vault, that's the safest bet I know [Final Hook] Turns out there's a me with a badge and a lawn Never missed a payment, never up till dawn He's a safe bet, I'm a long shot, and we both made it home Same block, same bet, and the house never won [Outro] Two interviews, one tie, and a train fare One of us went in, and both of us got there [End]
0/500