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21 Lyrics by Patrick Roche

2014

21. My father is run over by a car.
He is passed out in the road with a blood alcohol content 4 times the legal limit.
I do not cry.

Four months later,
The nurses lose his pulse, and I wonder whose life flashed before his eyes.
Rewinding VHS tapes
Old home videos

20.

19. I haven't brought a friend home in four years.

18. My mother sips the word "divorce".
Her mouth curls at the taste like it burns going down.

17. I start doing homework at Starbucks.
I have more meaningful conversations with the barista
Than with my family

16. I wait for Christmas Eve.
My brother and I usually exchange gifts to one another early
This year, he and my father exchange blows.
My mother doesn't go to mass.

15. I come up with the theory that my father started drinking again
Because maybe he found out I'm gay.
Like if he could make everything else blurry,
Maybe somehow I'd look straight.

15. My mother cleans up his vomit in the middle of the night
And cooks breakfast in the morning like she hasn't lost her appetite.

15. I blame myself.

15. My brother blames everyone else.

15. My mother blames the dog.

15. Super Bowl Sunday
My father bursts through the door like an avalanche
Picking up speed and debris as he falls
Banisters, coffee tables, picture frames
Tumbling, stumbling.
I find his AA chip on the kitchen counter.

14. My father's been sober for 10,
Maybe 11, years?
I just know
We don't even think about it anymore.

13.

12.

11. Mom tells me Daddy's "meetings" are for AA.
She asks if I know what that means.
I don't.
I nod anyway.

10. My parents never drink wine at family gatherings.
All my other aunts and uncles do.
I get distracted by the TV and forget to ask why.

9.

8.

7.

6. I want to be Spider-Man.
Or my dad.
They're kinda the same.

5.

4.

3. I have a nightmare
The recurring one about Ursula from The Little Mermaid
So I get up
I waddle toward Mommy and Daddy's room,
Blankie in hand,
I pause.
Daddy's standing in his underwear
Silhouetted by refrigerator light.
He raises a bottle
To his lips.

2.

1.

0. When my mother was pregnant with me,
I wonder if she hoped,
As so many mothers do,
That her baby boy would grow up to be
Just like
His father.
Credits
Patrick Roche

Patrick Roche

About “21” by Patrick Roche

Read the complete lyrics to "21" by Patrick Roche in 2014. 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 Non-Music, Spoken Word, Literature.

"21" is performed by Patrick Roche. in 2014 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 "21", explore more songs by Patrick Roche 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.

View all songs and biography for Patrick Roche · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"21" is credited to Patrick Roche. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

Album information for "21" is not available in our database yet. You can still read the full lyrics on this page.

Visit the Patrick Roche artist page at /artist/patrick-roche for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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