[Intro] Streetlights shine on and on and on And long after you're gone [Verse 1] I used to know a guy who would keep to himself Maybe to drown out this surrounding Hell But he made the best of it in his own little way He would face the day and refuse to look away I used to know a guy who would sit alone All day at school then work and then go home And repeat the cycle for years at a time But despite ill-will, he was satisfied Because he'd smile and greet every person with a warm heart You couldn't help but grin every time that this kid talked He was never insincere and never said a harsh word He held his head behind some gla**es and a purple shirt He'd do a Rubik's Cube in the blink of an eye We'd mix it up for him and he'd say with a smile "There's no way to turn it so it can't be solved" I guess he was right in the way that all things resolve He would sing in the choir at the top of his lungs To make sure we knew he's there and to never miss a turn He'd tell you Happy Birthday whether it was or not He'd tell you, "It's not much, but it's everything that I got." This guy didn't care if you were black or white He didn't care where you spent your nights In s gutter or a mansion, in a box or a car In the back roads of the country or a main-street bar Some would call him a blessing, others even a Saint He was a good kid at heart, it didn't matter the paint He was quiet in cla** and made the greatest of grades He'd put in all of his effort just to see that he made an A He didn't have an enemy, he didn't have a rival Just a heart and a spirit, some cards and a Bible I think you get the picture and if not, restart the song Because the kid that I described is now gone [Hook] And these streetlights shine on And on and on and on And on and on and on And these streetlights shine on and on and on And long after you're gone [Verse 2] Not a soul saw it coming, how his life would vanish I wonder if he knew it was his last day on this planet I wonder if he knew that tomorrow would never happen If I told him all these things, what would be his reaction The satisfaction he got from making life a pleasure Accepting fate's trash and pretending it was treasure To have it ripped from his hands in the blink of an eye I don't know why, why man, why did he have to die? I guess the job was exhausting and it left him kind of weary And when he cranked up his car, he wasn't thinking very clearly It was a ways down the road on the way to his house He was close, so close, to getting back to those he loved most I guess it happens to all of us when your mind slips a second But that second is life and d**h when you make that connection He slid off the road, came to a stop Collided with a tree, I guess his engine must have popped And the blaze continued rising, a cop saw the scene And arrived just in time before the flames reached the teen Pulled him out, get him help, it was no good His heart had stopped its beating and his eyes were shut for good When I said goodbye that day, I never thought that in a week That I'd be speaking at his funeral of the things he did for me An outlook on my life that was previously unseen You can die in the blink of an eye, so crack and smile and wink Why do those who do the best in life meet the worst fate? Why do those who deserve life end up at heave's gates? Why do those who give the world end up beyond our own? Why do those who live their lives, they seem to leave the most? Raise a toast to this kid, I've seen the things he did I was born to raise Hell, but Heaven raised this kid So rest in peace man, I hope you're hearing these words I'm just buying time with pocket change, waiting for rebirth Joy to the World I miss you, Poncey [Outro] And these streetlights shine on and on and on And long after you're gone