Wild Turkey

Lyrics:

They thought I was old enough in a hotel room

Was it my fault I looked a graduate or they assumed?

So when Joe poured a glass and offered Wild Turkey

I said, "Sure, I will try it; I will try anything"

Chorus

But that's not what you had in mind for me

Walked it off now didn't we

All along, all along the streets of Cincinnati

Where the skyscrapers sleep

And the homeless beneath 

And I thought, and I thought later on 

What if we are just choices we make?

And you didn't save me from any mistake

I should be held responsible, I admit

I could stand up for myself, but no, I'll just sit

Did you change the course of history by extending your hand?

Or am I just into taking every invitation I can

Chorus

You're always wearing shining armor to be someone's knight

I won't always be getting in trouble like you think I might

For I am no wild turkey

More like an owl

And I'm in control, man, just like I was then

And now

That's not what you had in mind for me

Walked it off 

The streets of Cincinnati

We saw the skyscrapers sleeping

Repeat chorus

A Few Notes:

Once upon a time, like 10 years ago, I went to an accounting conference in Ohio.

Documented here. And also here. 

If you do the math, I was only 20 at the time. A mere six months shy of being "legal". We were all hanging out at the hotel after the conference one day blowing off steam, and a guy had brought some Wild Turkey to share, so I tried some no big deal. The others were talking about going to the bar across the street to hang out. Not my kind of scene. So my other friend offered to go on a walk around downtown instead. That's my kind of scene.

So we did, and we had a good time. Later I got to thinking- what if my friend hadn't offered to go walking with me? Would I have gone with the others? Could something bad have happened? 

But then I realized that we're all responsible for our own actions and I'm not a party girl no matter who I'm around. 

And then you pair the imagery of the tall upstanding buildings of successful businesses with homeless sleeping beneath them... Your life is really just a series of choices you make.

So in short, this song is just about taking responsibilities for your own actions because no one can save you from your own mistakes.