Just Before The War Lyrics - Peter Mulvey

We used to hate that little fucker, 

we used to beat him up, 

and when he cried, it made us hate him more... 

I mean, Jesus, kids are awful, 

boys especially. 

We used to taunt him all the way to his screen door... 

But all of this 

was just before the war... 

Our little town would get all lit up 

on a tall summer night. 

The high school girls would 

smoke behind the store... 

And if you could get a car, 

you could go out and drive around, 

down to the lake, sit down by the shore... 

But all of this 

was just before the war... 

All of this... 

Everything changes, 

that's what they say... 

But oh, you believe it 

when the world falls away... 

(guitar solo) 

That little fucker was brave... 

Turns out I wasn't. 

And you look what that means and what it doesn't. 

And the years go like they go... 

You rake leaves, you shovel snow... 

And probably you're no different than before. 

And the town still gets all lit up 

on a tall summer night. 

The light shines down through my window 

to my floor... 

And I think about time before the war... 

I think about the time...