The Hold Steady - Heavy Covenant Lyrics

With the wine glass on the microwave
And the ashtray in the kitchenette
I could tell that it was difficult
To bring that sort of subject up
It was tough to bring the subject up

Sleeper city on a power play
In the garden with a day to spare
And if you know the perfect words to say
You can get it almost anywhere

That's a pretty heavy covenant
To make with someone powerless
He said he'll ask about that other stuff
If you're still prepared to pay for it

I know the perfect place to go
Slide your little phone into the airplane mode
Motel Mariposa
A little south of downtown on the frontage road
Seeing stories in the the scorch marks
Hearing bass lines in the buzzing of the lights
Call down to the desk and say we're going to need another night
We're going to stay a second night

I sell software made for offices
It increases their efficiency
Hospitals and local governments
It's a pretty heavy covenant

In the taxi to the airport
I was hoping for Tucson around ten
Staring at the skyline
Then right back at my phone to find a friend

It seems a single body is a couple different people in this one life
I'm sorry but my meeting got delayed
I'm going to be another night

First I watched him play his instruments
A resonator with a missing string
Then I asked him about the songs he did
How he decides what songs he's gonna sing
Then I asked if I could shake his hand
And I palmed him almost forty bucks
Then I asked about the other stuff

With the wine glass on the microwave
The ashtray in the kitchenette
I could tell that it was difficult
Sleeper city with the underplay
You can get it almost anywhere
If you know the perfect words to say

That's a pretty heavy covenant
To make with someone powerless
He said he'll ask about that other stuff
Met a guy in up in some music club
Gave him almost almost forty bucks
To make it safe to bring the subject up

'Cause it's tough to bring the subject up
'Cause it's tough to bring the subject up
It's a pretty heavy covenant