This Kid That I Knew

this kid that i knew
got tired of school
one day he just walked outta there
i'm not trying to sound dramatic
plannin' wasnt his habit
he didnt even take his wallet, i swear

i lived in LA, he starred in New York
one night he showed up at my door
he said, when I was soft, I had a similar loft
but I don't live nowhere no more

I had seen her deserts, my friends
her canyons, her oceans, her mountains
low flying owl seems to appear
whenever I'm stuck on the road

but most of all I loved her highways
it's true we were homeless. but the world it was ours
one change of clothes, camped out in the boxcars
i saw the sky touching earth on all sides
i saw red lightnin in the distance

let's wander
let's stand
where oceans meets sand
where all of the elements gather
I can't stay here
there's too much out there
but you could come with me, ya know

but then that boy said something
that blew my mind
he said, we're meant to capture
great lows, great highs
be safe for the record
we were here, we were alive
we raced through these cities
slept in these valleys
stumbled on sidewalks
drank in these alleys
adventure was ours
on the rooftops of cars
we spun below stars
we met in the bars
and by train tracks we waited
soup in a can
drifted asleep by a fire in the sand
for the first time i really felt it
no plan, no place to get back to

and just like he showed up
with nothing in his pockets
this kid that i knew
walked away into the night