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Counterfactual Lyrics by Clint Smith

Winter 2015

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One night
when I was twelve years old
on a field trip some place
I can't remember, my friends
and I bought supersoakers

and turned the hotel parking lot
into our arena of saturation.
We hid behind cars
running through the darkness
that lay between the streetlights.
Seditious laughter ubiquitous
across the pavement.

Within ten minutes
my father came outside
grabbed me by the forearm
and led me inside to our room
with an unfamiliar grip.

Before I could invoke objection,
acquaint him with how foolish
he had made me look in front
of my friends,
he derided me for being so naïve.

Told me I couldn’t be out here
acting the same as these white boys—
can't be pretending to shoot guns
can't be running in the dark
can’t be hiding behind anything
other than your own teeth.

I know now how scared
he must have been,
how easily I could have fallen
into the obsolescence of the night.
That some man would mistake
this water for a good reason
to wash all of this away.

About “Counterfactual” by Clint Smith

Read the complete lyrics to "Counterfactual" by Clint Smith from the album "Winter 2015". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Literature, Poetry, Non-Music.

"Counterfactual" is performed by Clint Smith. from the album "Winter 2015" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Counterfactual", explore more songs by Clint Smith using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Counterfactual" is credited to Clint Smith. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Counterfactual" appears on "Winter 2015".

Visit the Clint Smith artist page at /artist/clint-smith for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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