Not far away the shooter holed up in a hotel near to the highway with a friend and the gun. That same gun. He’d fled immediately but was identified by witnesses, his picture on TV, only 20 years old, they called him “Grandpa”, he was older than the others by a year, maybe two.
And he was safe for awhile until somebody saw him there and notified the authorities Who surrounded the hotel, first arresting an accomplice while attempting to flee, Then chasing him up the staircase to the floor where he’d stayed. He closed the door hard Behind him, locked himself in the room.
They could’ve kicked in the door but knew the gun was still with him, One he’d already used and so they feared what he’d do. I floated up through the window of a room to the West. I hovered out to the hallway, tried to listen in. I heard them trying to reason, get him to open the door. His uncle begging and pleading, half-collapsed to the floor. He preached of hope and forgiveness, said, “There is always a chance to rectify what you’ve taken, make your peace in the world.” I thought to slip through the door, I could’ve entered the room, I felt the burden of murder, it shook the earth to the core. Felt like the world was collapsing. Then we heard him speak, “Can I still get into heaven if I kill myself? Can I still get into heaven if I kill myself? Can I ever be forgiven cuz I killed that kid? It was an accident I swear it wasn’t meant for him! And if I turn it on me, if I even it out, can I still get in or will they send me to hell? Can I still get into heaven if I kill myself?” I left the hotel behind, don’t want to know how it ends.
Comments
Been a minute since I spun Valley of Smoke. Damn this record is awesome.
That same gun. He’d fled immediately but was identified by witnesses, his picture on TV,
only 20 years old, they called him “Grandpa”, he was older than the others by a year, maybe two.
And he was safe for awhile until somebody saw him there and notified the authorities
Who surrounded the hotel, first arresting an accomplice while attempting to flee,
Then chasing him up the staircase to the floor where he’d stayed. He closed the door hard
Behind him, locked himself in the room.
They could’ve kicked in the door but knew the gun was still with him,
One he’d already used and so they feared what he’d do.
I floated up through the window of a room to the West.
I hovered out to the hallway, tried to listen in.
I heard them trying to reason, get him to open the door.
His uncle begging and pleading, half-collapsed to the floor.
He preached of hope and forgiveness,
said, “There is always a chance to rectify what you’ve taken, make your peace in the world.”
I thought to slip through the door, I could’ve entered the room,
I felt the burden of murder, it shook the earth to the core.
Felt like the world was collapsing. Then we heard him speak,
“Can I still get into heaven if I kill myself?
Can I still get into heaven if I kill myself?
Can I ever be forgiven cuz I killed that kid?
It was an accident I swear it wasn’t meant for him!
And if I turn it on me, if I even it out, can I still get in or will they send me to hell?
Can I still get into heaven if I kill myself?”
I left the hotel behind, don’t want to know how it ends.
On vinyl B-)