Marbles and the Modem

Lyrics

[Verse 1] Mama kept the screen door swinging wide Red dirt on my knees, a summer sun too bright We made up kingdoms by the creek-bed bend And swore that every scraped-up day would never end [Pre-Chorus] Then a little silver box came humming through the room With a whole new world that fit beside the broom [Chorus] I was born between the marbles and the modem Between “be home by supper” and “you’re online” We were the last ones called in from the yard First ones learning how to live wired I still know the taste of rain on a bike ride And the thrill of hearing someone call my name I came up with one foot in the wide-open world And one stepping into change [Verse 2] We passed notes in class and traded game cartridges Then learned to wait while pictures loaded line by line Dad said, “Don’t give strangers all your name” While I was finding friends in places without streets or signs [Pre-Chorus] I could climb the old oak higher than the roof Then teach the family how to make the computer move [Chorus] I was born between the marbles and the modem Between “be home by supper” and “you’re online” We were the last ones called in from the yard First ones learning how to live wired I still know the taste of rain on a bike ride And the thrill of hearing someone call my name I came up with one foot in the wide-open world And one stepping into change [Bridge] So if my hands remember handlebars And my eyes can find a thousand distant doors That’s not a contradiction, that’s the road A little dirt beneath the code I carry every game we made from nothing Every first hello sent down a telephone line The old days didn’t vanish when the new came They’re both still mine [Final Chorus] I was born between the marbles and the modem Between the porch light and the blue-screen shine We were the last ones called in from the yard First ones learning how to live wired I still hear my friends across the ball field And a new voice finding me from far away I came up with one foot in the wide-open world And one stepping into change Yes, one foot in the wide-open world And both feet finding our way [Outro] Mama kept the screen door swinging wide I’m still carrying that summer on the other side