Mess Hall

This track comes from Aaron's military service — Air Force enlisted, Army Infantry officer, DoD civilian at SPAWAR/NIWC. It tackles The mess hall experience - terrible food, great company, and the unlikely friendships formed over trays of mystery meat. The lyrics get specific — "The coffee tastes like JP-5 mixed with disappointment" — because personal tracks on Majik's are personal for real, not performatively. The rock production matches the energy of the confession. It hits warm and humorous, in that order. Every personal track in the catalogue comes from a real moment, a real feeling, a real person. This one is no exception.

[verse 1] Sliders on Monday, mystery meat on Tuesday Wednesday's supposed to be chicken but it looks more like it used to be Something else entirely before the galley got a hold of it But we're all lined up with our trays like we actually enjoy this The coffee tastes like JP-5 mixed with disappointment But it's hot and it's caffeine and that's the only ointment For the wound of being awake at zero-dark-stupid Grab a seat at the long table, slide in next to a new kid Who's been on board for maybe thirteen hours Welcome to the Navy, here's your superpower: The ability to eat absolutely anything with a smile [chorus] Mess hall, where the food is bad but the company's golden Mess hall, where the stories grow with every retelling Mess hall, trays stacked high with brotherhood We'd eat anything together and it tasted good Because the meal was never really about the food Mess hall [verse 2] Third deployment, same menu rotating like the watch bill I could tell you what day it is by what's on the grill Taco Tuesday's the only one that's actually decent And the line wraps around twice because it's recent Memory of real food, closest thing we've got To a Taco Bell at sea, that parking lot Is the Pacific Ocean, and the drive-through's a hatch But we're making it work because that's the catch With Navy life, you improvise, you adapt, you overcome And you put hot sauce on everything until your tongue goes numb [chorus] Mess hall, where the food is bad but the company's golden Mess hall, where the stories grow with every retelling Mess hall, trays stacked high with brotherhood We'd eat anything together and it tasted good Because the meal was never really about the food Mess hall [bridge] I've eaten MREs in places I can't mention Shared a can of cheese spread with a man who saved my attention From the things you shouldn't look at too long overseas We bonded over crackers and a can of processed cheese That's military cuisine, that's fine dining in the field Five-star restaurant when the company's revealed To be the brothers and sisters who signed the same dotted line The mess hall is the church, and the meal is the shrine [verse 3] Now I'm home and I can eat at any restaurant in town Charleston's got the finest dining up and down King Street, but sometimes late at night I crave That powdered egg and burnt toast from the wave Of nostalgia that hits when I remember those mornings Crowded tables, tired faces, no warnings Just laughter over terrible food and beautiful bonds That I carry with me now to the Lowcountry and beyond So here's to every mess hall, every galley, every chow line The friendships forged over that food will outlast time [chorus] Mess hall, where the food is bad but the company's golden Mess hall, where the stories grow with every retelling Mess hall, trays stacked high with brotherhood We'd eat anything together and it tasted good Because the meal was never really about the food Mess hall [outro] Pass the hot sauce Tell another story The mess hall's where we became family