Me and my friends are like the drums on "Lust for Life?
We pound it out on floor toms
Our psalms are sing-along songs

And this whole town is like this
Been that way our whole lives
Just work at the mill until you die
Work at the mill, and then you die

We're gonna build something, this summer
We're gonna build something, this summer
We'll put it back together raise up a giant ladder
With love, and trust, and friends, and hammers (this summer!)
We're gonna lean this ladder up against the water tower
Climb up to the top, and drink and talk (this summer!)

Me and my friends are like "Double-whiskey-coke-no-ice."
We drink along in double time, might drink too much, but we feel fine
We're gonna build something, this summer.
Gonna build something, this summer.

This summer, grant us all the power to drink on top of water towers,
With love, and trust, and shows, all summer (get hammered!)
Let this be my annual reminder that we can all be something bigger

I went to your schools, I did my detention
But the walls are so gray, I couldn't pay attention
I heard your gospel it moved me to tears,
But I couldn't find the hate, and I couldn't find the fear
I met your Savior, I knelt at his feet,
And he took my ten bucks, and he went down the street
I tried to believe all the things that you said,
But my friends that aren't dying are already dead.

Raise a toast to St. Joe Strummer
I think he might've been our only decent teacher
Getting older makes it harder to remember we are our only saviors
We're gonna build something, this summer


Lyrics submitted by st5801

Constructive Summer Lyrics as written by Tad Kubler Craig Finn

Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.

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Constructive Summer song meanings
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14 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment

    strummer WAS our only decent teacher

    "work at the mill until you die, work at the mill and then you die"...great

    Clyde95on March 04, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The line "my friends that aren't dying are already dead" is a reference to Knuckles off Almost Killed Me: "It's hard to keep trying when half your friends are dying/it's hard to hold steady when half your friends are dead."

    Keterianon September 07, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I turned 30 in August 2008, and this song reminds me of the summers I spent on my family's Indian Reservation in South Dakota; listening to my favorite bands; D4, Iggy Pop, Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, and drinking beers. I feel like this song was (literally) written to me. There was a water town north of town where I used to watch storms come in. It was amazing. Coming from Seattle, I really never got the chance to see thunderstorms like that. God, I fucking love The Hold Steady.

    Propaganda78on November 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    perfect summer song. too bad the album isn't released until late july.

    malissieiaon May 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    cool song!!!!!!! i like the "lust for life" and the joe strummer reference.

    DuLc3on June 01, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    to drink on top of water towers with love and trust that shows all summer (get hammered!) let this be my annual reminder

    I read your gospel, it moved me to tears but I couldn't find the hate and couldn't find the fear

    • Such an amazing song... I'm so happy the album turned out this good.
    shrodeson June 08, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    three cheers for D4 references

    mechpope13on June 15, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    also that last verse about Joe Strummer is amazing

    mechpope13on June 15, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    "doublewhiskeycokenoice" is a reference to a song by Dillinger Four.

    nav3on June 28, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is by far their best song lyric wise. Reminds me of a Darkness era Springsteen song....

    danbon July 01, 2008   Link

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