"Oh, God!" or, The Unfortunate Lens of Happiness

The Ghosts of Harmony Bridge

I was too tired to drive but I came out anyway
I tried to figure out every single word that I'd say
You told me you'd be waiting up there for me
On that bridge in Harmony

The water below was black and quiet and clean
The fireflies spun circles above, perfecting their routine
They didn't think anyone would be up there to see
I wondered if you ever thought about me

I heard your footsteps coming and I turned to look
The lump in my throat cut off every breath I took
Standing on that bridge in Harmony
I was glass when you looked at me

Under Natural Light

Wake up extra early
Wait for the light
Keep waiting, but conditions don't ever come out right
So I open up the windows, open up the door
Let the rain ruin everything left out on the floor

Never finish
Start again
Put off everything until I don't know when

Yeah, I've been looking for a reason
To throw all this stuff away

Shattered sculptures
Fixed with glue
The canvas oil paintings
That I would have made for you
If my shoulder didn't hurt so bad
From I don't know what
If humidity hadn't swollen
All the supply cabinets shut

Clean the brushes
Strip the paint
Wait for you with the patience of a saint

Yeah, I know
It's gonna happen
Someday

Yeah, I know
It's gonna happen
Someday

Valerie's Song

Busted driver's side window
Preventing my escape
And the way you pulled your hat down low
In case we're caught on tape
The static on the radio
Sounds like a breaking wave
You told me not to turn it off
And you told me you're afraid

That if we don't ditch this town today
We're gonna be here until we die
But Valerie, we can't leave this way

The stars are blown across the sky
Like trash cans on a windy day
The gas is running low
And we have got no way to pay
But you're more concerned with the way the streetlights
Are passing by in time
With your heartbeat and my breathing
And the blinking double yellow line

But I am begging you to put away the gun
Valerie, before this gets out of hand

And I woke up kicking from a dream
Where you and I were caught
And they wrapped me in a business suit
And left me there to rot

Now you're burnt out like the dashboard lights
And you're calmer than before
And you said I could leave if I wanted to
But that doesn't make sense to me anymore

I'd rather run, like a dying sun
Eager to collapse
I'd rather let the bloodhounds think
We're headed straight into their traps
But they won't know where to find us
They won't even know where to look
So Valerie, you can count me in

Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
You can count me in.

Ally, A Year After We Met

Your brand new vinyl records
Were scattered all across your floor
And I felt something change forever
When I kicked my shoes off by the door

You got the candles from the kitchen
You turned the lights off in the halls
And posters of your favorite movie stars
Watched us jealously from the walls

And you fell asleep underneath my jacket
The record skipping at its end
And as your chest rose and fell with every breath
I could see the whole world for everything that it was right then

I woke up deep into the night
I dreamed the world was flooding and I couldn't find you anywhere
My heart was threatening to pound out of my chest
Until you put your hand there

You called me by my full first name
That's the moment that I knew
Even if we started over and you wiped my memory clean
I'd always find my way to you

And the orange-red glow from the candles
Bridged the darkness between you and me
And when you brushed your hair back behind your ear
I could see the whole world for everything it was ever going to be

Two Weeks Before the Hurricane

It was 2 AM and the radio was too loud
Though no one touched the volume since we arrived
We fought to keep our eyes open against the sound of the rain
Dissolving the world outside

And you almost sounded sober when you told me about trust
And the reason no one knows your middle name
The ghosts of all of your choices chased each other around the room
Until they all looked the same

We sat on your bed staring at the empty yellow wall
Projecting images of places we'd rather be
And dreaming of people we'd rather be with
You asked what I could see
It looked like a mirror to me

And you almost sounded happy when the sky opened up
You said it was a sign of all the bigger things on their way
And one day all of your choices will be ancient road signs
In a hungry wind
s They'll blow away
And you'll forget they were ever made

Nikki

Nikki hung up the phone and went back to bed
Frankie rolled over, kissed the top of her head
He said, "When are you going to tell him about us?"
Nikki faced the window, watched the streetlight catch the dust

Dave at the front desk, from midnight 'til eight
Always sees this girl in the lobby so late
When he calls her the word she wrote down when she came
She almost believes that it's really her name

And the light in this bathroom is so dirty and dim
She can't see the person she's becoming with him
When she came in tonight to scrub herself clean
She remembered a time when this wasn't routine

Nikki has eyes like the space between stars
She dreams that she only exists in the dark
When she puts herself together after coming apart
She almost forgets to leave space for her heart

Nikki jumped out of bed like a bomb just went off
She said, "If you love me you'll leave me alone."
Most nights when she leaves she says, "I'm going to my place."
But tonight when she left she said, "I'm going home."

Yeah, tonight when she left she said, "I'm going home."

Losing Game

It's a losing game
You should just walk away
But there's a feeling that you just can't shake
You could get everything you lost back
If you stay

It's a noisy night
It's a lousy year
You're sitting on some screened-in porch
Waiting for your mind or the sky to clear
And the hours pass
But you're drinking this one slowly
'Cause you need the practice
Making something last

You left your car behind
Vanished into the night
I found you at a construction site
In the skeleton of someone's future life

On the second floor
Sitting in a window frame
I asked you why you disappeared
You bit your fingernails like they're to blame
And you looked so young
You said you think the moon gets jealous
'Cause it knows that it can't shine without the sun

There's no easy way across
You keep losing but you can't accept the loss
And your eyes read like a horoscope
That said giving up or letting go
Doesn't mean you didn't have the strength to care
Just some things are going to be beyond repair

It's a lasting doubt
It's a silent shout
A late-night walk to find yourself
Or the furthest point before the world runs out

And they'll say you've changed
"Come back, fix the mess you made"
And they'll sit around like loan sharks who are
Waiting on some debt you haven't paid
And you're so unsure
'Cause you know you should feel sorry
But you don't know what you should feel sorry for

Yeah, you know you should feel sorry
But you don't think you feel sorry anymore

Winter Humidity Love Song

The night that I stopped lying about everything I was
The air outside your building was hot and wet and thick
There was nothing that you couldn't see when you looked into my eyes
And the Monday evening fog was coming in and spreading quick

And you still had your work clothes on
Yeah, you were the rock that my heart would break upon

The headlights didn't help at all and the car didn't make a sound
If we change our minds tomorrow we can always turn around
I knew everything about you then as we crossed the state line

The tattoo of the arrow on the inside of your arm
The bracelet on your wrist with the skull and cross bone charm
And your name, which sounded so good next to mine

And you still had your work clothes on
Yeah, you were the rock that my heart would break upon