Royal Ruckus > Summer of the Cicadas > Track 29
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Intro
When my verse reaches Philadelphia, I put the flip-flops away. Too chilly. Florida is still ahead.
Near the end of Act II, “Departures” follows the moves that change your life and the people you don’t get to take along. Jeremiah Bonds takes the first verse, I take the second, and Kalvin Koolidge closes it, over music by Shedlyn.
My route has its mistakes in it. Friends helped when I needed them, and some lessons took longer than a change of address. I end the verse admitting there’s more to learn.
Kalvin leaves us with a less demanding plan than the next big move. We’ll see each other when we can, grab a beer, and catch up.
Videos
Behind the Cicada Ruckus (commentary)
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Lyrics
Jeremiah Bonds, Verse 1:
It took a lot to get here, a lot of long nights
Striving to survive and writing with dull lights
It’s like a long flight, the destination is hard, just warning ya
Thinking how did I get here when I was just in California
It’s especially hard to afford this life of wanderlust
Or moving, ripped from your roots, proving it’s hard to trust
This life that starts from dust, wishing on stars for love
Thinking we’re too far from dusk to spend tonight here
From Waikiki, to Tennessee, to the Isle of Capri
You’ve got to agree that it’s awesome seeing the seven seas
But hey, enough of me, coffee or tea? It’s from Hawaii
Tell me how you’re doing, with jubilee, idiosyncracy
It’s hard to keep in touch, an email here, a text there
Searching for the next air-line ticket fare
Sorry, I gotta go, up early to catch the redeye
‘Cause I have shows in Dubai, Shanghai and Versailles
Chunjay, Verse 2:
(Hey!) I was born in California in the Golden State
I stayed for a couple decades and I loved to skate
Played around with hip-hop, lived in a big house
Put loved ones in the ground when they took life’s bow
You never know how until it comes to you
I moved to Tennessee when I was only 22
Made some mistakes, grew up a whole lot
Friends filled up my soul when life had knocked
Me to the ground, and then this teacher got taught
Biggest pain of my life changed up my whole thought
Got me Orthodox, on the beaches of Hawaii
Can’t let roadblocks get me cryin’ out, “Why me?”
Hit the east coast chased my dreams to Philly
Put my flip-flops on the shelf that place was too chilly
Really meant only the best, but I didn’t do great
The whole event got me growin but I still dropped the plate
Cleared the slate in that sunny state called Pascua Florida
Re-evaluatin’ things, changing up the formula
All of these departures have taught me many things
More lessons ahead, more than ever I am listening
Kalvin Koolidge, Verse 3:
Life gets strange when things get rearranged
People change, the song remains the same
In the back of my brain I hear you saying
That you and me, we would never break the chain
So much older, not much wiser
Still on my grind, still got that fire
Still out in Nashville, still a little crazy
Still tryna figure out how Jesus gonna save me
From town to city, gutter to high sidity
It goes so quickly, and sometimes it really hits me
I’m left behind with mine, a sign nobody gets me
I’m droppin’ dimes in my prime and I’ll be just fine
So many people, things, and places
Spaces in between, the things I seen, I know what grace is
So I be seeing you when I be seeing you my friend
We’ll grab a brew or two and then we do it all again
Credits
Music: Shedlyn
Lyrics and Vocals: Chunjay, Jeremiah Bonds, & Kalvin Koolidge
Album-wide credits
Additional Credits
Production: Flatline, Chunjay
Mixing, Engineering, Co-Production, Mastering, Additional Scratches, Everything but the Kitchen Sink: DJ Sean P at TWLVS in Fort Worth, Texas
Vocal Production/Consultation: Krum
Pre-Mixing: Flatline, Chunjay, Krum, Shedlyn/Chris Felix, Annex, Grizzly Beatz, David Mathewes
Background Vocals: Flatline, DJ Sean P, Chunjay, and Friends
Executive Producer: Chunjay
Lyrics and music copyright 2017 Neopolis Media in partnership with Invisible Library Records. All rights reserved. M. Walker & J. Bennett Artist rights (BMI).
Guest/co-writer FYI: Music: Shedlyn Lyrics and Vocals: Chunjay, Jeremiah Bonds, & Kalvin Koolidge These source credits are attribution information, not a lyric-scope blocker; they do not specify legal ownership shares.
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