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I have this new tattoo of which the story must be told
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About the night I almost overdosed ten years ago
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I woke up in the hospital with skin clammy and cold
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And tubes in my urethra, down my throat, and up my nose
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My friends and the doctors were all shocked I wasn’t dead
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That’s when Katrina looked at me and this is what she said
[Chorus]
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Walk like thunder
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Walk like thunder
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Walk like thunder
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Walk like thunder
[Verse]
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So I walked to the rebel spot, I walked all over uptown
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I walked right side up and I walked upside down
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I walked to Chetzemoka with my eyes fixed on the ground yeah
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We walked all over Chetze Beach and kept the rocks we found
[Verse]
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Then I walked back to my parents’ house, I walked back to my old bed yeah
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I walked back and I walked fast past all the voices in my head
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I walked with the sweats and I walked with the chills
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I walked in New York City and I walked in Bedford Hills
[Verse]
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I walked into open mic nights and I walked into the rooms
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I walked feeling optimistic and I walked feeling doomed
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I walked with some mama’s boys and I walked with some punks
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I walked dressed up like a rabbit, I walked dressed up like a skunk
[Verse]
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I walked with some givers and I walked with some leeches
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I walked all by myself and I walked with the Moldy Peaches
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I walked all over the world so I could sing my songs to you
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And to your most desperate emails I said, “This is what I do.”
[Chorus]
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I Walk like thunder
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Walk like thunder
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Walk like thunder
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Walk like thunder
[Verse]
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But at some point I got so comfortable
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That I didn’t even realize that I’d started to crawl
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Then my old friend Ammi died at 37 of a heart attack
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And I cracked cause people my age are not supposed to die like that
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No no no no people my age are not supposed to die like that
[Verse]
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He was the old manager of the sidewalk café
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That place was a second home to me, it’s where I learned to play
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And his personality really helped create a space
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Where a bunch of honest misfits could all gather and feel safe
[Verse]
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He was a cynic, a supporter, he was crazy, he was queer
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He’d either yell out, “Cut the bullshit” or he’d say, “I’m glad you’re here.”
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And it was always such an honour to have Ammi on my side
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That’s why it hit me like a Mack truck when I found out that he died
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Yeah, it hit me like a Mack truck when I found that he died
[Verse]
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Then enter Alex, 33 years old and so sick with the cancer
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And trapped inside a body that betrayed his real gender
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We all hoped and prayed that he would go into remission
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At least long enough, just long enough to complete his transition
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He said, “Kimya, did you know Eleventeen’s my favourite song?”
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I said, “Then get your ass on stage right now and you can sing along.”
[Verse]
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That’s the very first song I ever wrote all by myself
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It’s about angels and recovery and friends and hope and health
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By the time we finished singing he was pissed off, he was scared
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He said, “I lost my home, my lover, my insurance, and my hair.
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And now I’m about to lose you too, my new friend.”
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I looked into those big blue eyes and said we’ll meet again
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Yeah I looked into his sad blue eyes and said we’ll meet again
[Verse]
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Then I got the phone call from Alyssa and she told me he was dying
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By the time I got to his bedside we were both already flying
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We held hands and we sang songs, tried to be strong floated around
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While I cursed the skin that he was in for all the ways it had let him down
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Yeah I cursed the skin that he was in for all the ways it had let him down
[Verse]
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But at the same time I was taking my own body for granted
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First I lost sight of my feet then they became unplanted
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And I never felt so stupid or so selfish or so sad yeah
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My body had been good to me and I treated it so bad yeah
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My body had been good to me and I treated it so bad
[Verse]
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Then he said, “Mama, I don’t want my friends to watch me die.”
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So I kissed his cheek, made him a shirt, and then I said goodbye
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And they cremated him in the shirt that I drew
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Of the two of us that said they’re flying over you too
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Now the silver pink ponies have my homie in their crew
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So I tightened up my laces and knew what I had to do
[Outro]
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I started walking again
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I started walking again, I miss my friends
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I started walking again
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I started walking again, I miss my friends
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Walk like thunder