Annotated lyrics for The Hold Steady song 'Knuckles' - I've been trying to get people to call me Freddy Knuckles. / People keep calling me Right Said Fred. / It's hard to keep trying when half your friends are dying. / It's hard to hold steady when half your friends are dead already. / Taxmen coming around the back with the Kevlar Vests. / Militia men cooking up a batch of crystal meth. / There's a war going down in the middle west. / There's a war going down in the middle western states. / The Kevlar Vests against the crystal flakes. / I've been trying to get people to call me Freddie Mercury. / People keep calling me drop dead Fred. / It's hard to take it easy when half your friends are way too easy. / It's hard to get ahead when half your friends are dead. / Taxmen coming around the back with the Kevlar Vests. / Militia men cooking up a batch of crystal meth. / There's a war going down in the middle west. / There's a war going down in the middle western states. / The Kevlar Vests against the crystal flakes. / His elbow was a spiderweb. With five spiders trapped inside. / He said: the last guy didn't have to die. / But the first four looked so nice. I wanted five. / I've been trying to get people to call me Sunny D. / I've got the good stuff kids go for. / People keep calling me Five Alive. / Because the last guy didn't really die. I just lied. / And the first four didn't really die. I just lied. / Too many kids are getting stabbed. / Getting tangled up in crabs. / I've been trying to get people to call me Johnny Rotten / People keep calling me Freddy Fresh. / It's hard to take it easy when half your friends are looking way too easy. / It's hard to stay in bed when half your friends are dead. / Taxmen coming around the back with the Kevlar Vests. / Militia men cooking up a batch of crystal meth. / There's a war going down in the middle west. / There's a war going down in the middle western states. / White crosses and wooden stakes.