I had to get back to my roots on this one. My first love was the guitar and I've always felt the blues. Erech Brookins came through and funked it up on bass guitar. The only thing programmed on this song is the drums. The electric guitar, keys, and organ were played live by me. This was the last song we recorded, a few days before we turned in the final mixes.
lyrics
MILEAGE
VERSE I
a long time ago when I bought my first pawnshop guitar
I was deep in thought, pluckin’ strings at the park
pen and pad in my lap, piecin’ poetry together
when you’re that young, you constantly search for stormy weather
then a man walked up with a face like leather
dark, wrinkled skin that was rooted from within
you could tell that he spent his whole lifetime strugglin’
eyes were bloodshot from day-to-day hustlin’
smelled the scent of last night’s whisky on his breath
figured he wanted some change, but I didn’t know what to expect
sat down on my tailgate and listened to me sing
half way through my second song, he interrupted me and said boy…
CHORUS
I know you’re young, but I respect yo drive
all you need’s a lil’ mileage and I’ll tell you why
cause wisdom won’t come ‘til you’ve paid your dues,
so get out on the street and stomp yo feet
walk a mile in my shoes
walk a mile in my shoes
walk a mile in my shoes
and once you’ve walked a few miles, you have the right to smile, yeah…
VERSE II
he said, “son, aren’t you supposed to be in school?”
I said, “yeah, but its hard for me to follow their rules”
he asked, “where’d you get that bottle of Beam?” and started laughin’
I stole it that mornin’ from my Daddy’s liquor cabinet
passed it back-n-forth, as I read him some rhymes
strummed a chord progression that I’d like to call mine
he wasn’t too impressed, but he felt the groove
and could see that I was passionate by the way my hands moved
looked me dead in the eye, said talent don’t mean nothin’
if ya think ya know it all, might as well have crutches
no body in this life gets a free meal ticket
so get up off yo ass – go out there and get it
CHORUS
BRIDGE
back then, I never really knew what he meant
thought he was a drunk, babblin’ some non-sense
I was just a lost kid, obsessed with a dream
convinced I knew it all, but didn’t know a damn thing
no that I’ve ripped holes in a few pair of shoes
got a couple bruises and some faded tattoos
and several scars that make me who I am
I fully understand what he meant when he said…
CHORUS
credits
from Mileage,
track released November 10, 2009
[Justin Griffith: The Intelligent South (ASCAP)]
Vocals & Music Written & Performed by GOAT
Bass Guitar: Erech Brookins
Rapper CoCec takes a collection of hard-hitting beats other rappers passed over and uses them to back his soul-searching rhymes. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 4, 2023