Joey-Bob Dylan

[00:00.00] Born in Red Hook, Brooklyn, in the year of who knows when [00:25.98]Opened up his eyes to the tune of an accordion [00:34.17]Always on the outside of whatever side there was [00:40.89]When they asked him why it had to be that way, “Well,” he answered, [00:46.80]“just because” [00:50.19]Larry was the oldest, Joey was next to last [00:58.71]They called Joe “Crazy,” the baby they called “Kid Blast ” [01:06.69]Some say they lived off gambling and runnin’ numbers too [01:14.70]It always seemed they got caught between the mob and the men in blue [01:23.16]Joey, Joey [01:32.31]King of the streets, child of clay [01:40.53]Joey, Joey [01:48.93]What made them want to come and blow you away? [02:12.87]There was talk they killed their rivals, but the truth was far from that [02:21.81]No one ever knew for sure where they were really at [02:29.61]When they tried to strangle Larry, Joey almost hit the roof [02:37.95]He went out that night to seek revenge, thinkin’ he was bulletproof [02:46.20]The war broke out at the break of dawn, it emptied out the streets [02:55.53]Joey and his brothers suffered terrible defeats [03:02.88]Till they ventured out behind the lines and took five prisoners [03:11.43]They stashed them away in a basement, called them amateurs [03:20.07]The hostages were tremblin ’ when they heard a man exclaim [03:27.48]“ Let’s blow this place to kingdom come, let Con Edison take the blame” [03:36.27]But Joey stepped up, he raised his hand, said, “We’re not those kind of men [03:44.58]It’s peace and quiet that we need to go back to work again ” [03:53.01]Joey, Joey [04:02.49]King of the streets, child of clay [04:09.72]Joey, Joey [04:18.60]What made them want to come and blow you away? [04:42.57]The police department hounded him, they called him Mr. Smith [04:51.54]They got him on conspiracy, they were never sure who with [04:56.82]“ What time is it?” said the judge to Joey when they met [05:06.27]“ Five to ten,” said Joey. The judge says, “That’s exactly what you get” [05:15.93]He did ten years in Attica, reading Nietzsche and Wilhelm Reich [05:24.45]They threw him in the hole one time for tryin’ to stop a strike [05:32.55]His closest friends were black men ’ cause they seemed to understand [05:40.32]What it’s like to be in society with a shackle on your hand [05:47.64]When they let him out in ’71 he’ d lost a little weight [05:57.18]But he dressed like Jimmy Cagney and I swear he did look great [06:05.94]He tried to find the way back into the life he left behind [06:13.77]To the boss he said, “I have returned and now I want what’s mine ” [06:22.38]Joey, Joey [06:31.17]King of the streets, child of clay [06:38.91]Joey, Joey [06:47.13]Why did they have to come and blow you away? [07:10.41]It was true that in his later years he would not carry a gun [07:17.82]“ I’m around too many children,” he’d say, “ they should never know of one” [07:26.70]Yet he walked right into the clubhouse of his lifelong deadly foe [07:35.34]Emptied out the register, said, “ Tell ’em it was Crazy Joe” [07:44.10]One day they blew him down in a clam bar in New York [07:52.35]He could see it comin’ through the door as he lifted up his fork [08:00.51]He pushed the table over to protect his family [08:07.74]Then he staggered out into the streets of Little Italy [08:16.47]Joey, Joey [08:25.71]King of the streets, child of clay [08:33.39]Joey, Joey [08:41.55]What made them want to come and blow you away? [09:04.89]Sister Jacqueline and Carmela and mother Mary all did weep [09:13.98]I heard his best friend Frankie say, “ He ain’t dead, he’s just asleep” [09:22.32]Then I saw the old man’s limousine head back towards the grave [09:29.91]I guess he had to say one last goodbye to the son that he could not save [09:38.13]The sun turned cold over President Street and the town of Brooklyn mourned [09:46.92]They said a mass in the old church near the house where he was born [09:54.63]And someday if God’s in heaven overlookin’ His preserve [10:02.88]I know the men that shot him down will get what they deserve [10:11.49]Joey, Joey [10:20.55]King of the streets, child of clay [10:28.20]Joey, Joey [10:36.42]What made them want to come and blow you away?