About the song
A story for this song hasn’t been added yet.
Words from the artist’s archive
CORNER STAYS lyrics
Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.
Read the lyric sheet
Intro
Six a.m., Federal Highway, same corner. Cooler humming, cafecito going cold. Corner stays.
Verse 1
Spring, and the city wants a hundred-ten to stay legal, I sign it, laminate it, zip it to the cart, regal. "Same as last year, papa?" Same as last year, mi gente. Thumb worn smooth on the latch, I been re-upping these stands. They re-up to flip a profit; I re-up to belong, Spring renews the paper; I just keep the corner strong.
Pre-chorus
Permit on the cooler, zip-tie pulled tight, Same four corners, a different kind of fight.
Chorus
The block turns over, the corner stays, corner stays Snowbirds leave, the heat, the rain, the corner stays, corner stays Hundred-ten and a fresh stamp, same as yesterday, Everybody running somewhere; me, the corner stays.
Post-chorus
Corner stays, corner stays, hundred-ten and a stamp.
Verse 2
Summer hit, the asphalt sweating, storms come at three, Snowbirds gone, the block is mine, everybody find me. Surdo in my chest, the heat keep its own heartbeat, Publix beep across the street, time on my cooler lid, World Cup on a propped-up phone, whole block become a kid. Good corner quietly working; a verse I don't conceal.
Pre-chorus
Permit on the cooler, zip-tie pulled tight, Same four corners, a different kind of fight.
Chorus
The block turns over, the corner stays, corner stays Snowbirds leave, the heat, the rain, the corner stays, corner stays Hundred-ten and a fresh stamp, same as yesterday, Everybody running somewhere; me, the corner stays, re-up, re-up
Post-chorus
Corner stays, corner stays, hundred-ten and a stamp.
Verse 3
Fall. They put a cart on the opposite light. Blue umbrella. Lower price. I don't move. Watch him learn what I learned twice. Count gets tight, the storms clear the whole street, He sells out fast, then folds the day the rain rolls long; I'm slow and I am standing; that's the whole entire song. I counted every season; that's what the stamp is for.
Bridge
Every spring I say this might be the last one. Lie. Caught myself. It never is. Truth is, staying was the dream the whole long time, Hundred-ten and a fresh stamp, and the corner stays my name.
Refrain
The corner stays. The corner stays.
Verse 4
Winter in the 954, it hit forty-eight at dawn, Whole block acting Arctic; I'm the one stand on. Thin morning, two customers, the coffee doing the most. I could close, nobody'd blame me; gray sky, empty chair, Stay open on the principle, not the profit, not the proof, A roof over nobody some mornings; still I am the roof. Corner stays, corner stays.
Verse 5
Spring again, the city wants a hundred-ten to stay legal, I sign it, same pen skips, laminate it, zip it regal. Blue umbrella gone; the corner answered who would hold. First one of the year: "You still here?" Still here. Don't get old. Same cart, new stamp, press it flat against my thumb, Nothing happened. That's the brag. The block moved, I did not. Land it on the stamp, fresh ink; the only crown I got.
Pre-chorus
Permit on the cooler, zip-tie pulled tight, Stamp still wet, and the corner reads right.
Chorus
The block turns over, the corner stays, corner stays Snowbirds leave, the heat, the rain, the corner stays, corner stays Hundred-ten and a fresh stamp, and the corner stays my name, stays my name Everybody running somewhere; me, the corner stays, corner stays The corner stays.
Post-chorus
Corner stays, corner stays, hundred-ten and a stamp.
Outro
Six a.m., Federal Highway. Stamp's good for a year. The corner stays.
Inside the recording
Six a.m., Federal Highway, same corner. Cooler humming, cafecito going cold.
Permit on the cooler, zip-tie pulled tight, Same four corners, a different kind of fight.
Six a.m., Federal Highway. Stamp's good for a year.
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.