Joe & Benny

(Verse 1) 
Joe's emotions are his enemy 
He'll do anything not to feel
In order to feed his habit 
He'll beg, scheme and steal

Conniving and abusive 
Mirroring the trauma he suffered as a kid
A daily ritual of misery and regret 
In everything he did

A face of a fifty-five year old 
Although he is only thirty-three
Failed suicide attempts and rehab 
Veins permanently thirsty

He's burned all those around him
Used up all nine lives
Beside the storm drain, beneath the overpass
Is where he now resides

Turning tricks to raise some capital 
His world has gone from dark to black 
But none of that matters now
As he’s about to shoot the smack

A fever like a plague victim 
Well and truly dope sick
A tourniquet around his bicep
In anticipation of the prick

This hypodermic lifeline 
The only thing that shows him love
He's just about to push the plunger home
When there's an almighty crash above

A twisted bike first hits the water
As the boy falls in slow motion
The surging torrent sweeps him away
A sailor swallowed by the ocean 

(Chorus)
Hey Joe...
With a needle in your arm
Trying to wash the pain away

Hey Joe...
Fate's gonna force a difficult
Choice on you today

(Verse 2)
Benny is an active kid
Who idolises Mat Hoffman 
Spending all day at the BMX park
Cycling the five mile journey often

A promising prospect 
Catching the eye of several scouts
The healthiest kind of addict
Practising's what Benny can't do without 

Today he'd excelled in his stunts 
He glided through the air 
If only Hoffman could have seen him
Perfectly landing his first flair

Not a care in the world
At twelve years old, the epitome of cool
All the other kids want to be him
One of the most popular in school

The LA skies are growing dark
It's approaching rainy season 
No rain can dampen Benny's mood
His euphoria from practice can't be beaten

After a successful BMX session 
He's cycling the five miles back home
Shelly is approaching the traffic lights 
But she's distracted, on her phone 

Benny is approaching the overpass 
Thinking about his recently landed flair
Shelly never sees him coming
Benny and bike hurtle through the air

Such a cruel twist of fate
Beyond his control 
Benny and bike clear the guard rail
Plunging to the storm drain below 

(Chorus)
Hey Joe...
With a needle in your arm
Trying to wash the pain away

Hey Joe...
Fate's gonna force a difficult 
Choice on you today

(Verse 3)
Joe can't believe the timing 
Just as he's about to get his fix
Everything he'd suffered that day
Selling his body, turning tricks

As if God was playing a cruel joke
Or was he offering him redemption?
What fork in the road would his life take
At that stormy intersection?

He rips the works back out his thirsty vein 
Ignoring the insatiable urge 
Dives head first into the storm drain 
Swimming after Benny in the surge 

In the fast flowing water
There's a tunnel covered by a grate
He finds Benny pinned
Pushes him to the surface before it's too late

Benny regains consciousness 
Hauls himself from the surging water 
Seconds before Joe is smashed by debris 
A good samaritan slaughtered 

Some say the Lord works in mysterious ways
Divine intervention? It's hard to say
Plenty witnessed Joe's heroic actions 
On that stormy day in LA