Blue denim was the order of the day, both to wear or as a new cool deodorant,
We were seventeen and ready for anything, and every new girlfriend was heaven sent,
Wrangler jeans and jackets kept us comfortably in fashion and always ready to go,
Trench coats kept the alcohol hidden, whenever we travelled out of town to a disco.
Pints of beer and the odd half one filled us with confidence and false courage,
As we boxed well above our weight on occasion, we always stood up to be judged,
Hitch a ride then with a guardian Angel and witness teenagers in a different time,
As we dared to face down the odds, remembered from the deep caverns of my mind.
We grew up under the shadow of the cross, and learned early on how to stand our ground,
There were older gangs ahead of us and the younger ones that followed us around,
Some of the younger ones had brothers and sisters that were part of our scene,
We also had the odd guest appearance now and then, just before it all begins.
Usually undecided before it kicked off, maybe they had been pushed around before,
When they see their chance for revenge they join our ranks out on the floor,
Many times I had my back covered or helped a stranger that just tagged along,
After the fight had finished it could be weeks before I got to shake their hand.
Let’s not forget the girls too; some of them could also put their fists up,
Those girls were not the kind to turn and run when things got a little rough,
They brought true meaning to that old famous song “stand by your man”,
Ready and able to match their boyfriends and hand them their ass in a can.
Of course they were capable of great tenderness, given to that special one,
Stumbling through those first awkward sexual encounters, learning and moving on,
Fond memories of chewing gum kisses and cold noses come floating back in waves,
With elbows clamping tight on exploring fingers and many a slap across the face.
This truly was a special time for us, just like all teenagers we thought we knew it all,
Back then you actually had to walk up to a girl and speak, if you had the balls,
Now days it’s all about texting and face book, back then it was face to face,
If they found you annoying you were told to fuck off and quickly put in your place.
No misunderstandings the message was clear, shake your head and move along,
You laughed it off with your friends, just one of many rejections when you are young,
Then out of the blue someone else catches your eye and off you go once again,
This time you manage to get her to dance, watched closely by all your friends.
Through it all we made our way without compromising and sometimes a little scared,
We got burned in love and got over it, found a new way forward in a higher gear,
Those teenage years taught me more about friendship than all the years that followed,
Many times I had my back against the wall and my friends got me out of trouble.
Then slowly there came the need for change, a longing to find a new kind of scene,
As gradually we moved into smaller circles and found contentment from within,
The fighting stopped and now we left all our aggression out on the playing fields,
We laughed a lot more and learned to relax, as the teenage years came to an end.