La Quête

Nothing can bring me back
More than the smell of Play-Doh
Mom is a kindergarten teacher
She's even the teacher next door
I'm five and I sneak through the window
To hide in her class
She tells me, you're not supposed to be here

I said, next to you, that's where I belong
I love books, I prefer to be alone
So I'm happier when it rains
I take some catechism classes
But I'm not sure I believe in God
I'm seven, life is easy
When I don't know, I ask my mother
One day she told me, I don't know everything
I lost faith in the universe

At five, I just wanted to be seven
At seven, I was eager to see the rest
Today, I wish time would stop
Ah, what matters is not the arrival, it's the quest

I sweep the dead leaves on the field
The cold gives me blisters on my hands
I'm ten, I'm a basketball fan
I dress like a little American
My father, my hero, gave me
The Jordan 8 with the Velcro straps
So I do everything to make him proud
When he comes to see me at every game
I start middle school, they call me a snob
Normal, my shoes cost a fortune
I don't want to wear them anymore, my father gets mad
You have everything, we had nothing
I'm twelve, I cause chaos in class
Trying to make friends
The music teacher loses it
He's in teacher heaven

At eleven, I just wanted to be thirteen
At thirteen, I was eager to see the rest
Today, I wish time would stop
Ah, what matters is not the arrival, it's the quest

I've often fallen in love
But for once, it's mutual
I cowardly abandon all my friends
I only see my girl, we smoke cigarettes
Fourteen, I'm just a ghost
At least that's what my parents say
Sweetie wants me to hang out only with her
Yet she's always mad at me
Since I'm moving, we're apart
I think love is overrated
My brother beats me at basketball
So I prefer to give up
I'm fifteen, I watch Kate on repeat
I hang out with guys like Casper
My father is strict with me
So I take it out on my brother

At fifteen, I just wanted to be sixteen
At sixteen, I was eager to see the rest
Today, I wish time would stop
Ah, what matters is not the arrival, it's the quest

I go down the stairs, scared
To intercept my report card
At home, it's the Cold War
We don't understand each other anymore so I say nothing
I'm sixteen and I sneak through the window
To join the others at the skatepark
We drink beers, we smoke joints
And I rap about all of that
The years go by, maybe a bit too fast
To the point where I'm too scared to sing my age
My brother smokes when I put on the ring
My sister hosts the wedding
The things I dare not tell anyone
Are the same ones that fill up venues
Mom is there, my father is proud
And the universe isn't so bad
(The universe isn't so bad)

At sixteen, I just wanted to be seventeen
Seventeen, I was eager to see the rest
Today, I wish time would stop
Ah, what matters is not the arrival, it's the quest

At five, I just wanted to be seven
At seven, I was eager to see the rest
Today, I wish time would stop
Ah, what matters is not the arrival, it's the quest