the ballad of unremarkable derrick krueger (live @ TAKEOVER)

from the garages TAKEOVER by the garages

My name is derrick Krueger
The fans call me Der
Or they would, if I had fans
 
They said that when I grew up
I could be anything
So I up and joined the band
 
Proud of every strike I throw
Write ‘em down in a ledger that’s nowhere near full
And when I’m jamming out with the team it’s easy to forget
I’m not the one, not the one they’re cheering for
 
I take my coffee black
I love Arthur C Clarke
I’m more than what I lack
I’m ready to start
 
Every day I get lost in the thoughts
That haunt my head when I wake up
Did I sleep through the only years I have
For a future I don’t
 
Sometimes that’s just the way it goes
(No loss, no disappointment)
 
Chills settle over the outfield
Another mediocre game with no return on yield
Nobody looking up from their phones
As the eyes in the dark glow bright
Another light another light goes out
 
The smell of ash and pitch
the sound of nails on wood
The taste of salty air
The feeling that I could
 
I guess I’ll never hear my name rain down
From over the stands
I guess I’ll never see myself redeemed
In the eyes of the fans

Sometimes that’s just the way it goes
(No loss, no disappointment)

We’re not a team,
we’re protagonists
But who’s writing the story?
And will I make it in?
 
Is this all that I am
At the end of the day
One more name for the ticker
One less lousy garage pitcher
 
As the sky grows dim
Tell them I did my best
I was funny and kind
Please don’t let them forget
 
I’m sorry I couldn’t make the grade
When my body burns out
Will my name still fade away?

(Just one more chance at the mound
Just one more day in the sun
Will you wish I was around
When all is said and done?)