Don't Throw Your Life Away

23 May 2023 · 4 min

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3:50

The piece is a lyrical, cautionary narrative performed by a single speaker that follows a boy’s descent from petty theft (stealing candy) to increasingly serious crimes (stealing money, burglary, armed robbery). Each verse recounts a new escalation, while a recurring chorus repeats his father’s warning: “don’t be a thief… don’t throw your life away.” The story culminates with the boy’s arrest, a judge’s sentencing to a detention house, and a final admonition that the boy (and listeners) should reconsider a life of crime. The repetitive refrain emphasizes the moral lesson that early choices lead to dire consequences, urging listeners to heed parental advice and avoid a self‑destructive path.

Chapters

The first time that he stole, it was just a piece of candy. Next time, he took a bill from the wallet of his daddy. Then he and a friend broke into a house on the weekend. Before long, hit a store, and now he's looking for a big score. When he was a boy, his daddy said, don't be a thief. Take my advice, one day you're gonna pay. Don't throw your life away. Got a gun, cop the jam, started bragging to his friends. It wasn't long, it went wrong. It was over like a pop song. The judge said, "He needs a lesson. Put him in the house of detention. Give him time to reconsider a life of crime for something better." When he was a boy, his daddy said, "Don't be a thief. Take my advice, one day you're gonna pay." Don't throw your life away. When he was a boy, his daddy said, don't be a thief. Never gave away. Take my advice, one day you're gonna pay. Don't throw your life away. It was over. He turned to me and he told me, when I was a boy, my daddy said, don't be a thief. Take my advice, one day you're gonna pay. Don't throw your life away. When he was a boy, his daddy said, don't be a thief. Take my advice, one day you're gonna pay. Don't throw your life away. When I was a boy, my daddy said, don't be a thief. Take my advice, one day you're gonna pay. Don't throw your life away. When he was a boy, his daddy said, don't be a thief. Take my advice, one day you're gonna pay. Don't throw your life away.