Young Jeremiah at the age of 16 decided to leave home and go follow a dream
A life of peace and an absence of walls, a lack of taxes and running from the law
Well he grew up fast and very educated from living off the land that no man ever created
Spoke words of wisdom and never lacked fun, this is Jeremiah at the age of 21
If you get the chance spill a 40 for Jeremiah
And if you get the chance steal a 40 for me
If you get the chance spill a 40 for Jeremiah
And if you get the chance steal a 40 for me
Young Jeremiah worked his hands to the bone, the consumption of alcohol he never did condone
Till one day he decided that he should go home, no more friends and family so now he's all alone
Completely forgot what he was looking for, so he picked up a gun and decided to go to war
And into his soul the images they tore, and he didn't want to kill anyone anymore
He finally decided that he should get discharged, they wouldn't let him leave so he hopped on a barge
He was tired of taking orders, of his own life he'd take charge
Got home, and bought some whiskey, and started hopping on boxcars
If you get the chance spill a 40 for Jeremiah
And if you get the chance steal a 40 for me
If you get the chance spill a 40 for Jeremiah
And if you get the chance steal a 40 for me
Jeremiah kept on learning as the years went by, but he also kept on drinking because his liver hadn't died
On the nights that he got wasted all he ever did was cry, and on the nights that he was sober he just wanted to die
Our paths had crossed he was a hermit of a man, but he was so damn wasted that he could barley stand
I asked him for his name but I could not understand, as they days kept passing they grew less and less bland
Eventually he grew sober and shared his knowledge with me poor Jeremiah at the age of 43
He told me his life story with one foot in the grave, and said the meaning of life was to never be enslaved
If you get the chance spill a 40 for Jeremiah
And if you get the chance spill a 40 for me
If you get the chance spill a 40 for Jeremiah
And if you get the chance spill a 40 for me