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Chapter 2. Broke Artist Lyrics by Sonny Smith

Sees All Knows All

2016

Now, I’ve never made any money
And I've never wanted to work at anything but my writing
And every job I've ever had has been solely to pay the rent
And I've taken every chance I've ever had to quit
Take the day off
Call in sick
Just so I could stay home and do my writing
When you're young this kind of thing is romantic
To say screw it all and chase your dreams is seen as courageous and brave and people salute you
But as you grow older
They no longer see you as heroic
They see you as something else
Selfish or foolish or lost
And when I first met Sal, she had some divorce money
And she wanted to have a party that would last a whole year
So naturally I moved in
Sal could afford the rent
She could afford the food
She could afford the booze
And all I had to do was write
Now a friend of mine came to town
He had big dreams and bigger schemes
So I was all ears
He wanted to buy a coffee plantation in Costa Rica
“Sonny, I need a point man in Costa Rica.
What you need is about thirty thousand to get in the door on this
Is there anybody in your family that could back you?”
So I went to the only rich person I knew
He was having an art opening
His photographs were these immaculate, shiny, high-priced, beautifully framed portraits of the gutter
He stood there with his wife and his two kids and his agent and his golden retriever
“I need 50 grand
50 thousand dollars”
But he just stared at me as if I had insulted him
“Sonny, you've never had anything to gamble with, so you gamble with your whole life”
That's what he said
“You never went to school, you never got a good job
You never developed a sellable skill
A usable craft or a practical talent
You thought you could make it on your art, and you didn't.”
Well fuck you, I said
Fuck you and fuck the way this whole world works
And I walked into the street
I walked all over town
And I thought about never writing again
I thought about going back to school
I thought about being a carpenter
I thought about wearing a tie
And I thought about never being poor again
I walked all night
And when I finally got near home
I saw four men kicking and beating this black woman
She was a prostitute I recognized
But she had crossed some kind of turf line into this latino section
I tried to call the police but this boy came over with a cast on his hand and hit me over the head
And everything went kind of black and blurry and I felt like maybe he had broken my skull
After a while they dispersed, and I looked over to the woman
Her eyes were swollen shut
And her face and neck were bruised
And together we walked to the hospital
Just two ragged mules beat up by the night
Dear Sal,
The world is odd and senseless, and I'll be home late
Credits
Sonny Smith

Sonny Smith

About “Chapter 2. Broke Artist” by Sonny Smith

Read the complete lyrics to "Chapter 2. Broke Artist" by Sonny Smith from the album "Sees All Knows All" in 2016. 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 Monologue, Non-Music, Alternative.

"Chapter 2. Broke Artist" is performed by Sonny Smith. from the album "Sees All Knows All" in 2016 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 "Chapter 2. Broke Artist", explore more songs by Sonny 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

"Chapter 2. Broke Artist" is credited to Sonny Smith. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Chapter 2. Broke Artist" appears on "Sees All Knows All" in 2016.

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