The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology Album Lyrics by Taylor Swift

---

Fortnight


[Taylor Swift]
I was supposed to be sent away
But they forgot to come and get me
I was a functioning alcoholic
'Til nobody noticed my new aesthetic
All of this to say I hope you're okay
But you're the reason
And no one here's to blame
But what about your quiet treason?

[Taylor Swift]
And for a fortnight there, we were forever
Run into you sometimes, ask about the weather
Now you're in my backyard, turned into good neighbors
Your wife waters flowers, I wanna kill her

[Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift & Post Malone, Post Malone]
All my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February
I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary
And I love you, it's ruining my life
I love you, it's ruining my life
I touched you for only a fortnight
I touched you, but I touched you

[Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift & Post Malone]
And for a fortnight there, we were forever
Run into you sometimes, ask about the weather
Now you're in my backyard, turned into good neighbors
Your wife waters flowers, I wanna kill her
And for a fortnight there, we were together
Run into you sometimes, comment on my sweater
Now you're at the mailbox, turned into good neighbors
My husband is cheating, I wanna kill him
[Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Taylor Swift & Post Malone]
I love you, it's ruining my life
I love you, it's ruining my life
I touched you for only a fortnight
I touched you, I touched you
I love you, it's ruining my life
I love you, it's ruining my life
I touched you for only a fortnight
I touched you, I touched you

[Post Malone, Post Malone & Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift]
Thought of callin' ya, but you won't pick up
'Nother fortnight lost in America
Move to Florida, buy the car you want
But it won't start up 'til you touch, touch, touch me
Thought of calling ya, but you won't pick up
'Nother fortnight lost in America
Move to Florida, buy the car you want
But it won't start up 'til I touch, touch, touch you

---

The Tortured Poets Department

You left your typewriter at my apartment
Straight from the tortured poets department
I think some things I never say
Like, "Who uses typewriters anyway?"
But you're in self-sabotage mode
Throwing spikes down on the road
But I've seen this episode and still loved the show
Who else decodes you?

[Chorus]
And who's gonna hold you like me?
And who's gonna know you, if not me?
I laughed in your face and said
"You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith
This ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we'rе modern idiots"
And who's gonna hold you like me?

Nobody
No-f*cking-body
Nobody

You smokеd, then ate seven bars of chocolate
We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist
I scratch your head, you fall asleep
Like a tattooed golden retriever
But you awaken with dread
Pounding nails in your head
But I've read this one where you come undone
I chose this cyclone with you

And who's gonna hold you like me?
(Who's gonna hold you? Who's gonna hold you?)
And who's gonna know you like me?
(Who's gonna know you?)
I laughed in your face and said
"You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith
This ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we're modern idiots"
And who's gonna hold you like me?
(Who's gonna hold you? Who's gonna hold you?)

No-f*cking-body
(Who's gonna hold you? Who's gonna hold you?)
Nobody
(Who's gonna hold you? Gonna know you? Gonna troll you?)
Nobody

Sometimes, I wonder if you're gonna screw this up with me
But you told Lucy you'd kill yourself if I ever leave
And I had said that to Jack about you, so I felt seen
Everyone we know understands why it's meant to be
'Cause we're crazy
So tell me, who else is gonna know me?
At dinner, you take my ring off my middle finger
And put it on the one people put wedding rings on
And that's the closest I've come to my heart exploding

Who's gonna hold you? (Who?)
Me
Who's gonna know you? (Who?)
Me
And you're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith
This ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we're two idiots
Who's gonna hold you?

Who's gonna hold you?
Who's gonna hold you?
Who's gonna hold you?
Who's gonna hold you?
Who's gonna hold you?
Who's gonna hold you?
Who's gonna hold you?
Gonna know you? Gonna troll you?

You left your typewriter at my apartment
Straight from the tortured poets department
Who else decodes you?

---

My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys

oh, here we go again
The voices in his head
Called the rain to end our days of wild
The sickest army doll
Purchased at the mall
Rivulets descend my plastic smile

But you should've seen him when he first got me

My boy only breaks his favorite toys, toys, oh
I'm queen of sand castles he destroys, oh, oh
'Cause it fit too right, puzzle pieces in the dead of night
I should've known it was a matter of time, oh, oh
My boy only breaks his favorite toys, oh, oh-oh-oh

There was a litany of reasons why
We could've playеd for keeps this time
I know I'm just repeating mysеlf
Put me back on my shelf
But first, pull the string
And I'll tell you that he runs
Because he loves me (He loves me)

'Cause you should've seen him when he first saw me

My boy (My boy) only breaks his favorite toys, toys, oh
I'm queen (I'm queen) of sand castles he destroys, oh, oh
'Cause I knew too much, there was danger in the heat of my touch
He saw forever, so he smashed it up, oh, oh
My boy (My boy) only breaks his favorite toys, oh, oh-oh-oh


(Oh-oh, oh-oh) Once I fix me
(Oh-oh, oh-oh) He's gonna miss me
(Oh-oh, oh-oh) Once I fix me
(Oh-oh, oh-oh) He's gonna miss me

Just say when, I'd play again
He was my best friend down at the sandlot
I felt more when we played pretend
Than with all the Kens
'Cause he took me out of my box (Oh-oh, oh-oh)
Stole my tortured heart (Oh-oh, oh-oh)
Left all these broken parts (Oh-oh)
Told me I'm better off (Oh-oh)
But I'm not (Oh-oh)
I'm not, I'm not

---

Down Bad


Did you really beam me up
In a cloud of sparkling dust
Just to do experiments on?
Tell me I was the chosen one
Showed me that this world is bigger than us
Then send me back where I came from

For a moment, I knew cosmic love

Now I'm down bad, cryin' at the gym
Everything comes out teenage petulance
Fuck it if I can't have him
I might just die, it would make no difference
Down bad, wakin' up in blood
Starin' at the sky, come back and pick me up
Fuck it if I can't have us
I might just not get up, I might stay

Down bad
Fuck it if I can't have him
Down bad
Fuck it if I can't have him

Did you take all my old clothes
Just to leave me here, naked and alone
In a field in my same old town
That somehow seems so hollow now?
They'll say I'm nuts if I talk about
The existence of you

For a moment, I was heavenstruck

Now I'm down bad, cryin' at the gym (Cryin' at the gym)
Everything comes out teenage petulance
Fuck it if I can't have him (Fuck it if I can't have him)
I might just die, it would make no difference
Down bad, wakin' up in blood (Wakin' up in blood)
Starin' at the sky, come back and pick me up
Fuck it if I can't have us
I might just not get up, I might stay

Down bad (Like I lost my twin)
Fuck it if I can't have him (Down bad)
Down bad (Wavin' at the ship)
Fuck it if I can't have him

I loved your hostile take-overs
Encounters closer and closer
All your indecent exposures
How dare you say that it's?
I'll build you a fort on some planet
Where they can all understand it
How dare you think it's romantic
Leaving me safe and stranded?
'Cause fuck it, I was in love
So fuck you if I can't have us
(Ah)
'Cause fuck it, I was in love

Now I'm down bad, cryin' at the gym (Cryin' at the gym)
Everything comes out teenage petulance
Fuck it if I can't have him (Can't have him)
I might just die, it would make no difference
Down bad, wakin' up in blood (Wakin' up in blood)
Starin' at the sky, come back and pick me up
Fuck it if I can't have us
I might just not get up,I might stay

Down bad (Like I lost my twin)
Fuck it if I can't have him (I'm down bad)
Down bad (Wavin' at the ship)
Fuck it if I can't have him

Like I lost my twin
Fuck it if I can't have him
Down bad (Wavin' at the ship)
Fuck it if I can't have him

---

So Long London

So (So) long (Long), London (London)
So (So) long (Long), London (London)
So (So) long (Long), London (London)

I saw, in my mind, fairy lights through the mist
I kept calm and carried the weight of the rift
Pulled him in tighter each time he was driftin' away
My spine split from carrying us up the hill
Wet through my clothes, weary bones got the chill
I stopped tryin' to make him laugh, stopped tryin' to drill the safe

Thinkin', how much sad did you think I had
Did you think I had in me?
Oh, the tragedy
So long, London
You'll find someone

I didn't opt in to be your odd man out
I founded the club she's heard great things about
I left all I knew, you left me at the house by the Heath
I stoppеd CPR, after all, it's no use
The spirit was gonе, we would never come to
And I'm pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free

For so long, London
Stitches undone
Two graves, one gun
I'll find someone

And you say I abandoned the ship
But I was going down with it
My white-knuckle dyin' grip
Holding tight to your quiet resentment
And my friends said it isn't right to be scared
Every day of a love affair
Every breath feels like rarest air
When you're not sure if he wants to be there

So how much sad did you think I had
Did you think I had in me?
How much tragedy?
Just how low did you
Think I'd go 'fore I'd self-implode?
'Fore I'd have to go be free?

You swore that you loved me, but where were the clues?
I died on the altar waitin' for the proof
You sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days
And I'm just getting color back into my face
I'm just mad as hell 'cause I loved this place for

So (So) long (Long), London (London)
Had (Had) a (A) good (Good) run (Run)
A moment (Moment) of warm sun (Sun)
But I'm (I'm) not (Not) the (The) one (One)
So (So) long (Long), London (London)
Stitches (Stitches) undone (Undone)
Two (Two) graves (Graves), one gun (Gun)
You'll (You'll) find (Find) someone

---

But Daddy I Love Him

I forget how the West was won
I forget if this was ever fun
I just learned these people only raise you
To cage you
Sarahs and Hannahs in their Sunday best
Clutchin' their pearls, sighing, what a mess
I just learned these people try and save you
'Cause they hate you

Too high a horse for a simple girl
To rise above it
They slammed the door on my whole world
The one thing I wanted

Now I'm runnin' with my dress unbuttoned
Scrеamin', "But Daddy, I love him
I'm havin' his baby"
No, I'm not, but you should see your faces
I'm tellin' him to floor it through thе fences
No, I'm not coming to my senses
I know he's crazy, but he's the one I want

Dutiful daughter, all my plans were laid
Tendrils tucked into a woven braid
Growin' up precocious sometimes means
Not growin' up at all
He was chaos, he was revelry
Bedroom eyes like a remedy
Soon enough the elders had convened
Down at the city hall

"Stay away from her," the saboteurs
Protested too much
Lord knows the words we never heard
Just screeching tires of true love

And now I'm runnin' with my dress unbuttoned
Screamin', "But Daddy, I love him
I'm havin' his baby"
No, I'm not, but you should see your faces
I'm tellin' him to floor it through the fences
No, I'm not coming to my senses
I know he's crazy, but he's the one I want

I'll tell you somethin' right now
I'd rather burn my whole life down
Than listen to one more second of all this bitchin' and moanin'
I'll tell you somethin' 'bout my good name
It's mine alone to disgrace
I don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath's clothing

God save the most judgmental creeps
Who say they want what's best for me
Sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I'll never see
Thinkin' it can change the beat
Of my heart when he touches me
And counteract the chemistry and undo the destiny
You ain't gotta pray for me
Me and my wild boy, and all of his wild joy
If all you want is gray for me
That's just white noise, that's just my choice


There's a lot of people in town that
I bestow upon my fakest smiles
Scandal does funny things to pride, but brings lovers closer
We came back when the heat died down
Went to my parents and they came around
All the wine moms are still holdin' out, but f*ck 'em, it's over

Now I'm dancin' in my dress in the sun and
Even my daddy just loves him
I'm his lady
And oh my God, you should see your faces
Time, doesn't it give some perspective?
And no, you can't come to the weddin'
I know it's crazy, but he's the one I want

I'll tell you somethin' right now
You ain't gotta pray for me
Me and my wild boy, and all of his wild joy
(He was chaos, he was revelry)
If all you want is gray for me
That's just white noise, that's just my choice

Screamin', "But Daddy, I love him
I'm having his baby"
No, I'm not, but you should see your faces
But oh my God, you should see your faces
(He was chaos, he was revelry)
(He was chaos, he was revelry)

---

Fresh Out The Slammer

Now, pretty baby
I'm runnin' back home to you
Fresh out the slammer
I know who my first call will be to
(Fresh out the slammer, oh)

Another summer, takin' cover, rolling thunder
He don't understand me
Splintered back in winter, silent dinners, bitter
He was with her in dreams

Gray and blue and fights and tunnels
Handcuffed to the spell I was under
For just one hour of sunshine
Years of labor, locks and ceilings
In the shade of how he was feeling
But it's gonna be alright, I did my time

Now, pretty baby
I'm runnin' back home to you
Frеsh out the slammer
I know who my first call will be to
(Frеsh out the slammer, oh

Camera flashes, welcome bashes, get the matches
Toss the ashes off the ledge
As I said in my letters, now that I know better
I will never lose my baby again

My friends tried, but I wouldn't hear it
Watch me daily disappearing
For just one glimpse of his smile
All those nights, he kept me goin'
Swirled you into all of my poems
Now we're at the starting line, I did my time

Now, pretty baby
I'm runnin'

To the house where you still wait up and that porch light gleams (Gleams)
To the one who says I'm the girl of his American dreams
And no matter what I've done, it wouldn't matter anyway
Ain't no way I'm gonna screw up now that I know what's at stake here
At the park where we used to sit on children's swings
Wearing imaginary rings


But it's gonna be alright, I did my time

---

Florida!!!

[Taylor Swift]
You can beat the heat if you beat the charges too
They said I was a cheat, I guess it must be true
And my friends all smell like weed or little babies
And this city reeks of driving myself crazy

[Taylor Swift]
Little did you know your home's really only
A town you're just a guest in
So you work your life away just to pay
For a time-share down in Destin

[Taylor Swift & Florence Welch, Taylor Swift]
Florida
Is one hell of a drug
Florida
Can I use you up?

[Florence Welch]
The hurricane with my name when it came
I got drunk and I dared it to wash me away
Barricaded in the bathroom with a bottle of wine
Well, me and my ghosts, wе had a hell of a time
Yes, I'm hauntеd, but I'm feeling just fine
All my girls got their lace and their crimes
And your cheating husband disappeared, well
No one asks any questions here

[Florence Welch, Taylor Swift & Florence Welch]
So I did my best to lay to rest
All of the bodies that have ever been on my body
And in my mind, they sink into the swamp
Is that a bad thing to say in a song?

[Florence Welch]
Little did you know your home's really only
The town you'll get arrested
So you pack your life away just to wait out
The shitstorm back in Texas

[Taylor Swift & Florence Welch, Taylor Swift]
Florida
Is one hell of a drug
Florida
Can I use you up?

[Taylor Swift, Florence Welch, Taylor Swift & Florence Welch]
I need to forget, so take me to Florida
I've got some regrets, I'll bury them in Florida
Tell me I'm despicable, say it's unforgivable
At least the dolls are beautiful, fuck me up, Florida
I need to forget, so take me to Florida
I've got some regrets, I'll bury them in Florida
Tell me I'm despicable, say it's unforgivable
What a crash, what a rush, fuck me up, Florida
It's one hell of a drug
It's one hell of a drug
Love left me like this and I don't want to exist
So take me to Florida


[Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift & Florence Welch, Florence Welch]
Little did you know your home's really only
A town you're just a guest in (Florida)
So you work your life away just to pay
For a time-share down in Destin (Take me to Florida)
Little did you know your home's really only
The town you'll get arrested (Florida)
So you pack your life away just to wait out
The shitstorm back in Texas

[Taylor Swift & Florence Welch, Taylor Swift]
Florida
Is one hell of a drug
(Take me to) Florida
Can I use you up?
Florida
Is one hell of a drug
Florida
Go on, fuck me up

---

Guilty as Sin?

Drownin' in the Blue Nile
He sent me "Downtown Lights"
I hadn't heard it in a while
My boredom's bone-deep
This cage was once just fine
Am I allowed to cry?
I dream of crackin' locks
Throwin' my life to the wolves or the ocean rocks
Crashin' into him tonight, he's a paradox
I'm seeing visions
Am I bad or mad or wise?

What if he's written "Mine" on my upper thigh only in my mind?
I'm slippin', fallin' back into the hedge maze
Oh, what a way to die
I keep recalling things we never did
Messy top lip kiss, how I long for our trips
Without ever touchin' his skin
How can I be guilty as sin?

I keep these longings locked
In lowеrcase inside a vault
Someonе told me, "There's no such thing as bad thoughts
Only your actions talk"
These fatal fantasies
Giving way to labored breath takin' all of me
We've already done it in my head, if it's make-believe
Why does it feel like a vow we'll both uphold somehow?

What if he's written "Mine" on my upper thigh only in my mind?
I'm slippin', fallin' back into the hedge maze
Oh, what a way to die
My bed sheets are ablaze
I've screamed his name
Buildin' up like waves crashin' over my grave
Without ever touchin' his skin
How can I be guilty as sin?

What if I roll the stone away?
They're gonna crucify me anyway
What if the way you hold me is actually what's holy?
If long-suffering propriety is what they want from me
They don't know how you've haunted me so stunningly
I choose you and me religiously

What if he's written "Mine" on my upper thigh only in my mind?
I'm slippin', fallin' back into the hedge maze
Oh, what a way to die
I keep recalling things we never did
Messy top lip kiss, how I long for our trips
Without ever touchin' his skin
How can I be guilty as sin?

He sent me "Downtown Lights"
I hadn't heard it in a while
Am I allowed to cry?

---

Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?

The who's who of "Who's that?" is poised for the attack
But my bare hands paved their paths
You don't get to tell me about sad

If you wanted me dead, you should've just said
Nothing makes me feel more alive

So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street
Crash the party like a record scratch as I scream
"Who's afraid of little old me?"
You should be

The scandal was contained
The bullet had just grazed
At all costs, keep your good name
You don't get to tell me you feel bad

Is it a wonder I broke? Let's hear one morе joke
Then we could all just laugh until I cry

So I lеap from the gallows and I levitate down your street
Crash the party like a record scratch as I scream
"Who's afraid of little old me?"
I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean
"Don't you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth"
Who's afraid of little old me?
Well, you should be

(You should be) You should be
(You should be) You should be
You should be (You should be)
You should be (You should be)
You should be

So tell me everything is not about me, but what if it is?
Then say they didn't do it to hurt me, but what if they did?
I wanna snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made me
You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me
So all you kids can sneak into my house with all the cobwebs
I'm always drunk on my own tears, isn't that what they all said?
That I'll sue you if you step on my lawn
That I'm fearsome and I'm wretched and I'm wrong
Put narcotics into all of my songs
And that's why you're still singin' along

So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street
Crash the party like a record scratch as I scream
"Who's afraid of little old me?"
I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean
"Don't you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth"
Who's afraid of little old me?
Well, you should be

(You should be) You should be
(You should be) You should be
'Cause you lured me (You should be)
And you hurt me (You should be)
And you taught me

You caged me and then you called me crazy
I am what I am 'cause you trained me
So who's afraid of me?
Who's afraid of little old me?
Who's afraid of little old me?

---

I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)

The smoke cloud billows out his mouth
Like a freight train through a small town
The jokes that he told across the bar
Were revolting and far too loud

They shake their heads sayin', "God, help her"
When I tell 'em he's my man
But your good Lord doesn't need to lift a finger
I can fix him, no, really, I can
And only I can

The dopamine races through his brain
On a six-lane Texas highway
His hands so calloused from his pistol
Softly traces hearts on my face
And I could see it from a mile away
A perfect case for my certain skill set
He had a halo of the highest gradе
He just hadn't met me yеt

They shake their heads sayin', "God, help her"
When I tell 'em he's my man
But your good Lord doesn't need to lift a finger
I can fix him, no, really, I can
And only I can

Good boy, that's right, come close
I'll show you Heaven if you'll be an angel, all mine
Trust me, I can handle me a dangerous man
No really, I can

They shook their heads sayin', "God, help her"
When I told 'em he's my man (I told 'em he's my man)
But your good Lord didn't need to lift a finger
I can fix him, no, really, I can (No, really, I can)
Woah, maybe I can't

---

‎loml

Who's gonna stop us from waltzing back into rekindled flames
If we know the steps anyway?
We embroidered the memories of the time I was away
Stitching, "We were just kids, babe"
I said, "I don't mind, it takes time"
I thought I was better safe than starry-eyed
I've felt a glow like this never before and never since

If you know it in one glimpse, it's legendary
You and I go from one kiss to getting marriеd
Still alive, killing time at the cеmetery
Never quite buried
And you suit and tie in the nick of time
You low-down boy, you stand-up guy
You holy ghost, you told me I'm the love of your life
You said I'm the love of your life
About a million times

Who's gonna tell me the truth when you blew in with the winds of fate
And told me I reformed you?
When your impressionist paintings of heaven turned out to be fakes
Well, you took me to hell too
And all at once, the ink bleeds
A con man sells a fool a get-love-quick scheme
I've felt a hole like this never before and ever since

If you know it in one glimpse, it's legendary
What we thought was for all time was momentary
Still alive, killing time at the cemetery
Never quite buried
You cinephile in black and white
All those plot twists and dynamite
Mr. "Steal your girl, then make her cry"
You said I'm the love of your life

You shit-talked me under the table
Talkin' rings and talkin' cradles
I wish I could unrecall
How we almost had it all
Dancing phantoms on the terrace
Are they second-hand embarrassed
That I can't get out of bed
'Cause something counterfeit's dead?
It was legendary
It was momentary
It was unnecessary
Should I let it stay buried?

Oh, what a valiant roar
What a bland goodbye
The coward claimed he was a lion
I'm combing through the braids of lies
I'll never leave, never mind
Our field of dreams engulfed in fire
Your arsons match your somber eyes
And I'll still see it until I die
You're the loss of my life

---

I Can Do It With A Broken Heart

I can read your mind
"She's having the time of her life
There in her glittering prime
The lights refract sequin stars off her silhouette every night"
I can show you lies
(One, two, three, four)

'Cause I'm a real tough kid
I can handle my shit
They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I did
Lights, camera, bitch, smile
Even when you wanna die
He said he'd love me all his life
But that life was too short
Breaking down, I hit the floor
All the piеces of me shatterеd as the crowd was chanting, "More"
I was grinnin' like I'm winnin'
I was hittin' my marks
'Cause I can do it with a broken heart
(One, two, three, four)

I'm so depressed, I act like it's my birthday every day
I'm so obsessed with him, but he avoids me like the plague
I cry a lot, but I am so productive, it's an art
You know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart

I can hold my breath
I've been doin' it since he left
I keep finding his things in drawers
Crucial evidence I didn't imagine the whole thing
I'm sure I can pass this test
(One, two, three, four)

'Cause I'm a real tough kid
I can handle my shit
They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I did
Lights, camera, bitch, smile
In stilettos for miles
He said he'd love me for all time
But that time was quite short
Breaking down, I hit the floor
All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, "More"
I was grinnin' like I'm winnin'
I was hittin' my marks
'Cause I can do it with a broken heart
(One, two, three, four)

I'm so depressed, I act like it's my birthday every day
I'm so obsessed with him, but he avoids me (He avoids me) like the plague (He avoids me like the plague)
I cry a lot, but I am so productive, it's an art
You know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart

You know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart
You know you're good, haha, good
'Cause I'm miserable (Haha)
And nobody even knows
Ah, try and come for my job

---

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

Was any of it true?
Gazing at me starry-eyed
In your Jehovah's Witness suit
Who the f*ck was that guy?
You tried to buy some pills
From a friend of friends of mine
They just ghosted you
Now you know what it feels like

And I don't even want you back, I just want to know
If rusting my sparkling summer was the goal
And I don't miss what we had, but could someone give
A message to the smallest man who ever lived?

You hung me on your wall
Stabbed me with your push pins
In public, showed me off
Then sank in stoned oblivion
'Cause once your queen had come
You'd treat her likе an also-ran
You didn't measure up
In any measurе of a man

And I don't even want you back, I just want to know
If rusting my sparkling summer was the goal
And I don't miss what we had, but could someone give
A message to the smallest man who ever lived?

Were you sent by someone who wanted me dead?
Did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed?
Were you writin' a book? Were you a sleeper cell spy?
In fifty years, will all this be declassified?
And you'll confess why you did it and I'll say, "Good riddance"
'Cause it wasn't sexy once it wasn't forbidden
I would've died for your sins, instead, I just died inside
And you deserve prison, but you won't get time
You'll slide into inboxes and slip through the bars
You crashed my party and your rental car
You said normal girls were boring
But you were gone by the morning
You kicked out the stage lights, but you're still performing

And in plain sight you hid
But you are what you did
And I'll forget you, but I'll never forgive
The smallest man who ever lived

---

The Alchemy

This happens once every few lifetimes
These chemicals hit me like white wine
What if I told you I'm back?
The hospital was a drag
Worst sleep that I ever had
I circled you on a map
I haven't come around in so long
But I'm coming back so strong

So when I touch down
Call the amateurs and cut 'em from the team
Ditch the clowns, get the crown
Baby, I'm the one to be
'Cause the sign on your heart
Said it's still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight thе alchemy?

Hey, you, what if I told you we'rе cool?
That child's play back in school
Is forgiven under my rule
I haven't come around in so long
But I'm making a comeback to where I belong

So when I touch down
Call the amateurs and cut 'em from the team
Ditch the clowns, get the crown
Baby, I'm the one to be
'Cause the sign on your heart
Said it's still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?
These blokes warm the benches
We've been on a winning streak
He jokes that "It's heroin, but this time with an E"
'Cause the sign on your heart
Said it's still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?

Shirts off and your friends lift you up over their heads
Beer stickin' to the floor, cheers chanted 'cause they said
There was no chance trying to be the greatest in the league
Where's the trophy? He just comes runnin' over to me

Touch down
Call the amateurs and cut 'em from the team
Ditch the clowns, get the crown
Baby, I'm the one to be
'Cause the sign on your heart
Said it's still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?
These blokes warm the benches
We've been on a winning streak
He jokes that "It's heroin, but this time with an E"
'Cause the sign on your heart
Said it's still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?

This happens once every few lifetimes
These chemicals hit me like white wine

---

Clara Bow

You look like Clara Bow
In this light, remarkable
All your life, did you know
You'd be picked like a rose?

I'm not trying to exaggerate
But I think I might die if it happened
Die if it happened to me
No one in my small town thought I'd see the lights of Manhattan

This town is fake, but you're the real thing
Breath of fresh air through smoke rings
Take the glory, give everything
Promise to be dazzling

You look like Stevie Nicks
In '75, the hair and lips
Crowd goes wild at her fingertips
Half moonshine, a full еclipse

I'm not trying to exaggeratе
But I think I might die if I made it, die if I made it
No one in my small town thought I'd meet these suits in LA
They all wanna say

This town is fake, but you're the real thing
Breath of fresh air through smoke rings
Take the glory, give everything
Promise to be dazzling
The crown is stained, but you're the real queen
Flesh and blood amongst war machines
You're the new God we're worshipping
Promise to be dazzling


Beauty is a beast that roars down on all fours
Demanding more
Only when your girlish glow flickers just so
Do they let you know?
It's hell on earth to be heavenly
Them's the breaks, they don't come gently

You look like Taylor Swift
In this light, we're lovin' it
You've got edge, she never did
The future's bright, dazzling

---

The Black Dog

I am someone who until recent events
You shared your secrets with
And your location, you forgot to turn it off
And so I watch as you walk
Into some bar called The Black Dog
And pierce new holes in my heart
You forgot to turn it off
And it hits me

I just don't understand how you don't miss me
In The Black Dog, when someone plays "The Starting Line"
And you jump up, but she's too young to know this song
That was intertwined in the magic fabric of our dreaming
Old habits die screaming

I move through the world with a heart broken
My longing state unspoken
And I may never open up thе way I did for you
And all of those best laid plans
You said I needed a bravе man
Then proceeded to play him
Until I believed it too
And it kills me

I just don't understand how you don't miss me
In the shower and remember how my rain-soaked body
Was shakin', do you hate me?
Was it hazing for a cruel fraternity?
I pledged and I still mean it
Old habits die screaming

Six weeks of breathin' clean air
I still miss the smoke
Were you makin' fun of me
With some esoteric joke?
Now I wanna sell my house
And set fire to all my clothes
And hire a priest to come and exorcise my demons
Even if I die screaming
And I hope you hear it

And then I hope it's shitty in The Black Dog
When someone plays "The Starting Line"
And you jump up, but she's too young to know this song
That was intertwined in the tragic fabric of our dreaming
With tail between your legs, you're leavin'

I still can't believe it
'Cause old habits die screaming

---

​​imgonnagetyouback

Yeah

Lilac short skirt, the one that fits me like skin
Did your research, you knew the price goin' in
And I'll tell you one thing, honey
I can tell when somebody still wants me, come clean
Standin' at the bar like something's funny, bubbly
Once you fix your face, I'm goin' in (Yeah)

Whether I'm gonna be your wife or
Gonna smash up your bike, I haven't decided yet
But I'm gonna get you back
Whether I'm gonna curse you out or
Take you back to my house, I haven't decidеd yet
But I'm gonna get you back

I, I hear thе whispers in your e-e-eyes
I'll make you wanna think twice
You'll find that you were never not mine
(You're mine)

Small talk, big love, act like I don't care what you did
I'm an Aston Martin that you steered straight into the ditch
Then ran and hid
And I'll tell you one thing, honey
I can take the upper hand and touch your body
Flip the script and leave you like a dumb house party
Or I might just love you 'til the end (Ah)

Whether I'm gonna be your wife or
Gonna smash up your bike, I haven't decided yet
But I'm gonna get you back
Whether I'm gonna flip you off or
Pull you into the closet, I haven't decided yet
But I'm gonna get you back

I, I hear the whispers in your e-e-eyes
I'll make you wanna think twice
You'll find that you were never not mine
(You're mine)

I can feel it comin', honey, in the way you move
Push the reset button, we're becomin' something new
Say you got somebody else, say, "I got someone too"
Even if it's handcuffed, I'm leavin' here with you
Bygones will be bygone, eras fadin' into grey (Fading into grey)
Rebuild all the pieces, but still wanna play the game (Oh)
Told my friends I hate you, but I love you just the same
Pick your poison, babe, I'm poison either way (Ha)

Whether I'm gonna be your wife or
Gonna smash up your bike, I haven't decided yet
But I'm gonna get you back
Whether I'm gonna curse you out or
Take you back to my house, I haven't decided yet
But I'm gonna get you back

I, I hear the whispers in your e-e-eyes
I'll make you wanna think twice
You'll find that you were never not mine

I'm gonna get you back

---

The Albatross

Wise men once said
"Wild winds are death to the candle"
A rose by any other name is a scandal
Cautions issued, he stood
Shooting the messengers
They tried to warn him about her

Cross your thoughtless heart
Only liquor anoints you
She's the albatross
She is here to destroy you


Wise men once said
"One bad seed kills the garden"
"One less temptress, one less dagger to sharpen"
Locked me up in towers
But I'd visit in your dreams
And they tried to warn you about me

Cross your thoughtless heart
Only liquor anoints you
She's the albatross
She is here to destroy you
Devils that you know
Raise worse hell than a stranger
She's the death you chose
You're in terrible danger

And when that sky rains fire on you
And you're persona non grata
I'll tell you how I've been there too
And that none of it matters

Wise men once read fake news
And they believed it
Jackals raised their hackles
You couldn't conceive it
You were sleeping soundly
When they dragged you from your bed
And I tried to warn you about them

So I crossed my thoughtless heart
Spread my wings like a parachute
I'm the albatross
I swept in at the rescue
The devil that you know
Looks now more like an angel
I'm the life you chose
And all this terrible danger (Ah)

(This terrible danger; Ah)
So cross your thoughtless heart (Ah)
She's the albatross (Ah)
She is here to destroy you

---

Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus

Your hologram stumbled into my apartment
Hands in the hair of somebody in darkness
Named Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
And I just watched it happen
As the decade would play us for fools
And you saw my bones out with somebody new
Who seemed like he would've bullied you in school
And you just watched it happen

If you wanna break my cold, cold heart
Just say, "I loved you the way that you were"
If you wanna tear my world apart
Just say you've always wondered

You said some things that I can't unabsorb
You turned me into an idea of sorts
You needed me, but you needed drugs more
And I couldn't watch it happen
I changed into goddesses, villains and fools
Changed plans and lovers and outfits and rules
All to outrun my desertion of you
And you just watched it

If you wanna break my cold, cold heart
Just say, "I loved you the way that you were"
If you wanna tear my world apart
Just say you've always wondered

If the glint in my eye traced the depths of your sigh
Down that passage in time back to the moment
I crashed into you, like so many wrecks do
Too impaired by my youth to know what to do

So if I sell my apartment
And you have some kids with an internet starlet
Will that make your memory fade from this scarlet maroon?
Like it never happened
Could it be enough to just float in your orbit?
Can we watch our phantoms like watching wild horses?
Cooler in theory, but not if you force it to be
It just didn't happen

So if you wanna break my cold, cold heart
Say you loved me
And if you wanna tear my world apart
Say you'll always wonder

(Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
'Cause I wonder
Will I always
(Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah)
Will I always wonder?

---

How Did It End

(Uh-oh, uh-oh)

We hereby conduct
This post-mortem
He was a hot house flower to my outdoorsmen
Our maladies were such
We could not cure them
And so a touch that was my birthright became foreign

Come one, come all
It's happenin' again
The empathetic hunger descends
We'll tell no one
Except all of our friends
We must know
How did it end?
(Uh-oh, uh-oh)

We were blind to unforeseen circumstances
We learn the right stеps to different dances (Oh, oh-oh)
And fеll victim to interloper's glances
Lost the game of chance, what are the chances?
Soon, they'll go home to their husbands
Smug 'cause they know they can trust him
Then feverishly calling their cousins (Oh, oh)

Guess who we ran into at the shops?
Walking in circles like she was lost
Didn't you hear?
They called it all off
One gasp and then
How did it end?

Say it once again with feeling
How the death rattle breathing
Silenced as the soul was leaving
The deflation of our dreaming
Leaving me bereft and reeling
My beloved ghost and me
Sitting in a tree
D-Y-I-N-G

It's happenin' again
How did it end?
I can't pretend like I understand
How did it end?

Come one come all
It's happenin' again
The empathatic hunger descends
We'll tell no one
Except all of our friends
But I still don't know
How did it end?

---

So High School

I feel so high school every time I look at you
I wanna find you in a crowd just to hide from you

And in a blink of a crinklin' eye
I'm sinkin', our fingers entwined
Cheeks pink in the twinkling lights
Tell me 'bout the first time you saw me
I'll drink what you think and I'm high
From smokin' your jokes all damn night
The brink of a wrinkle in time
Bittersweet sixteen suddenly

I'm watchin' American Pie with you on a Saturday night
Your friends are around, so be quiet
I'm trying to stifle my sighs
'Cause I feel so high school every time I look at you
But look at you
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

Are you gonna marry, kiss or kill me? (Kill me)
It's just a game, but really (Really)
I'm bettin' on all three for us two (All three)
Get my car door, isn't that sweet? (That sweet)
Then pull me to thе backseat (The backseat)
No onе's ever had me (Had me), not like you

Truth, dare, spin bottles
You know how to ball, I know Aristotle
Brand new, full throttle
Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto
It's true, swear, scouts honor
You knew what you wanted and, boy, you got her
Brand new, full throttle
You already know, babe

I feel like laughing in the middle of practice
To that impression you did of your dad again
I'm hearing voices like a madman

And in a blink of a crinkling eye
I'm sinking, our fingers entwined
Cheeks pink in the twinkling lights
Tell me 'bout the first time you saw me
I'll drink what you think and I'm high
From smoking your jokes all damn night
The brink of a wrinkle in time
Bittersweet sixteen suddenly

I'm watching American Pie with you on a Saturday night
Your friends are around, so be quiet
I'm trying to stifle my sighs
'Cause I feel so high school (Feel so high school) every time I look at you
But look at you

Truth, dare, spin bottles
You know how to ball, I know Aristotle
Brand new, full throttle
Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto
It's true, swear, scouts honor
You knew what you wanted and, boy, you got her
Brand new, full throttle
You already know, babe
You already know, babe

---

I Hate It Here

Quick, quick, tell me something awful
Like you are a poet trapped inside the body of a finance guy
Tell me all your secrets, all you'll ever be is
My eternal consolation prize
You see, I was a debutante in another life, but
Now I seem to be scared to go outside
If comfort is a construct, I don't believe in good luck
Now that I know what's what

I hate it here so I will go to secret gardens in my mind
People need a key to get to, the only one is mine
I read about it in a book when I was a precocious child
No mid-sized city hopes and small-town fears
I'm there most of the year 'cause I hate it here
I hate it here

My friends used to play a game where
We would pick a decade
We wished we could live in instead of this
I'd say the 1830s but without all the racists
And getting married off for the highest bid
Everyone would look down 'cause it wasn't fun now
Seems like it was never even fun back then
Nostalgia is a mind's trick
If I'd been there, I'd hate it
It was freezing in the palace

I hate it here so I will go to lunar valleys in my mind
When they found a better planet, only the gentle survived
I dreamed about it in the dark, the night I felt like I might die
No mid-sized city hopes and small-town fears
I'm there most of the year 'cause I hate it here
I hate it here

I'm lonely, but I'm good
I'm bitter, but I swear I'm fine
I'll save all my romanticism for my inner life and I'll get lost on purpose
This place made me feel worthless
Lucid dreams like electricity, the current flies through me
And in my fantasies, I rise above it
And way up there, I actually love it

I hate it here so I will go to secret gardens in my mind
People need a key to get to, the only one is mine
I read about it in a book when I was a precocious child
No mid-sized city hopes and small-town fears
I'm there most of the year 'cause I hate it here
I hate it here

Quick, quick, tell me something awful
Like you are a poet trapped inside the body of a finance guy

---

​​thanK you aIMee

When I picture my hometown
There's a bronze, spray-tanned statue of you
And a plaque underneath it
That threatens to push me down the stairs at our school

And it was always the same searing pain
But I dreamed that, one day, I could say

All that time you were throwin' punches, I was buildin' somethin'
And I can't forgive the way you made me feel
Screamed, "F*ck you, Aimee" to the night sky as the blood was gushin'
But I can't forget the way you made me heal

And it wasn't a fair fight or a clean kill
Each time that Aimee stomped across my gravе
And then she wrote hеadlines
In the local paper, laughing at each baby step I'd take

And it was always the same searing pain
But I prayed that, one day, I could say

All that time you were throwin' punches, I was buildin' somethin'
And I couldn't wait to show you it was real
Screamed, "F*ck you, Aimee" to the night sky as the blood was gushin'
But I can't forget the way you made me heal
Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman
But she used to say she wished that you were dead
I pushed each boulder up the hill
Your words are still just ringing in my head, ringing in my head

I wrote a thousand songs that you find uncool
I built a legacy that you can't undo
But when I count the scars, there's a moment of truth
That there wouldn't be this if there hadn't been you

And maybe you've reframed it
And in your mind, you never beat my spirit black and blue
I don't think you've changed much
And so I changed your name and any real defining clues
And one day, your kid comes home singin'
A song that only us two is gonna know is about you, 'cause

All that time you were throwin' punches, it was all for nothin'
And our town, it looks so small from way up here
Screamed, "Thank you, Aimee" to the night sky and the stars are stunnin'
'Cause I can't forget the way you made me heal
Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman
But she used to say she wished that you were dead
So I pushed each boulder up that hill
Your words were still just ringin' in my head, ringin' in my head

Thank you, Aimee
Thank you, Aimee

---

I Look in People's Windows

I had died the tiniest death
I spied the catch in your breath
Out, out, out, out, out, out
Northbound I got carried away
As you boarded your train
South, south, south, south, south, south

A feather taken by the wind blowing
I'm afflicted by the not knowing so

I look in people's windows
Transfixed by rose golden glows
They have their friends over to drink nice wine
I look in people's windows
In case you're at their table
What if your eyes looked up and met mine
One more time

You had stopped and tiltеd your head
I still ponder what it meant
Now, now, now, now, now, now
I triеd searching faces on streets
What are the chances you'd be
Downtown, downtown, downtown

Does it feel alright to not know me?
I'm addicted to the "if only"

So I look in people's windows
Like I'm some deranged weirdo
I attend Christmas parties from outside
I look in people's windows
In case you're at their table
What if your eyes looked up and met mine
One more time

---

The Prophecy

Hand on the throttle
Thought I caught lightning in a bottle
Oh, but it's gone again
And it was written
I got cursed like Eve got bitten
Oh, was it punishment?
Pad around when I get home
I guess a lesser woman would've lost hope
A greater woman wouldn't beg
But I looked to the sky and said

Please
I've been on my knees
Change the prophecy
Don't want money
Just someone who wants my company
Let it once be me
Who do I have to speak to
About if they can redo the prophecy?

Cards on thе table
Mine play out like fools in a fablе
Oh, it was sinking in (Sinking in, oh)
Slow is the quicksand
Poison blood from the wound of the pricked hand
Oh, still I dream of him

Please
I've been on my knees
Change the prophecy
Don't want money
Just someone who wants my company
Let it once be me
Who do I have to speak to
About if they can redo the prophecy?

And I sound like an infant
Feeling like the very last drops of an ink pen
A greater woman stays cool
But I howl like a wolf at the moon
And I look unstable
Gathered with a coven 'round a sorceress' table
A greater woman has faith
But even statues crumble if they're made to wait
I'm so afraid I sealed my fate
No sign of soulmates
I'm just a paperweight in shades of greige
Spending my last coin so someone will tell me it'll be okay

Ooh
Ooh
Ooh
Ooh

Please
I've been on my knees
Change the prophecy
Don't want money
Just someone who wants my company
Let it once be me
Who do I have to speak to
About if they can redo the prophecy?
Who do I have to speak to
To change the prophecy?

Hand on the throttle
Thought I caught lightning in a bottle
Oh, but it's gone again
Pad around when I get home
I guess a lesser woman would've lost hope
A greater woman wouldn't beg
But I looked to the sky and said (Please)

---

Cassandra

I was in my new house placing daydreams
Patching up the crack along the wall
I pass it and lose track of what I'm saying
'Cause that's where I was when I got the call

When the first stone's thrown, there's screamin'
In the streets, there's a raging riot
When it's "Burn the bitch," they're shrieking
When the truth comes out, it's quiet

So, they killed Cassandra first 'cause she feared the worst
And tried to tell the town
So they filled my cell with snakes, I regret to say
Do you believe me now?

I was in my tower weaving nightmares
Twisting all my smiles into snarls
They say, "What doesn't kill you makes you aware"
What happens if it becomes who you are?

So, they killed Cassandra first 'cause she feared the worst
And tried to tell the town
So they set my life in flames, I regret to say
Do you believe me now?


They knew, they knew, they knew the whole time
That I was onto somethin'
The family, the pure greed, the Christian chorus line
They all said nothin'
Blood's thick, but nothin' like a payroll
Bet they never spared a prayer for my soul
You can mark my words that I said it first
In a mourning warning, no one heard

I patched up the crack along the wall
I pass it and lose track of what I'm saying
'Cause that's where I was when I lost it all

So, they killed Cassandra first 'cause she feared the worst
And tried to tell the town
So, they filled my cell with snakes, I regret to say
Do you believe me now?


Ah, ah-ah-ah, ah
I was onto somethin'
Ah-ah-ah, ah
They all said nothin'
Blood's thick but nothin' like a payroll
Bet they never spared a prayer for my soul
You can mark my words that I said it first
In a mourning warning, no one heard
No one heard, not a single word was heard

When the first stone's thrown, there's screamin'
In the streets, there's a raging riot
When it's "Burn the bitch," they're shrieking
When the truth comes out, it's quiet
It's so quiet

---

Peter

Forgive me, Peter
My lost fearless leader
In closets like cedar
Preserved from when we were just kids
Is it somethin' I did?
The goddess of timing
Once found us beguiling
She said she was trying
Peter, was she lying?
My ribs get the feeling she did

And I didn't wanna come down
I thought it was just goodbye for now

You said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
Thеn you were gonna come find mе
Said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Words from the mouths of babes
Promises oceans deep
But never to keep
Oh, never to keep

Are you still a mind reader?
A natural scene stealer?
I've heard great things, Peter
But life was always easier on you
Than it was on me
And sometimes it gets me
When crossing your jet stream
We both did the best we could do
Underneath the same moon
In different galaxies

And I didn't wanna hang around
We said it was just goodbye for now

You said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Words from the mouths of babes
Promises oceans deep
But never to keep
Never to keep

And I won't confess that I waited, but I let the lamp burn
As the men masqueraded, I hoped you'd return
With your feet on the ground, tell me all that you'd learned
'Cause love's never lost when perspective is earned
And you said you'd come and get me, but you were twenty-five
And the shelf life of those fantasies has expired
Lost to the "Lost Boys" chapter of your life
Forgive me, Peter, please know that I tried
To hold on (Hold on) to the days (To the days)
When you were mine
But the woman who sits by the window
Has turned out the light

You said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
You said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
You said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Words from the mouths of babes
Promises oceans deep
But never to keep

---

The Bolter

By all accounts, she almost drowned
When she was six in frigid water
And I can confirm she made
A curious child, ever reviled
By everyone except her own father
With a quite bewitching face
Splendidly selfish, charmingly helpless
Excellent fun 'til you get to know her
Then she runs like it's a race
Behind her back, her best mates laughed
And they nicknamed her "The Bolter"

Started with a kiss
"Oh, we must stop meeting like this"
But it always ends up with a town car speeding
Out the drive one evening
Ended with the slam of a door
Then he'll call her a whore
Wish he wouldn't be sore
But as she was leaving
It felt like breathing

All her f*ckin' lives
Flashed before her eyes
It feels like the time
She fell through the ice
Then came out alive

He was a cad, wanted her bad
Just like any good trophy hunter
And she liked the way he tastes
Taming a bear, making him care
Watching him jump then pulling him under
And at first blush, this is fate
When it's all roses, portrait poses
Central Park Lake in tiny rowboats
What a charming Saturday
That's when she sees the littlest leaks
Down in the floorboards
And she just knows she must bolt

Started with a kiss
"Oh, we must stop meeting like this"
But it always ends up with a town car speeding
Out the drive one evening
Ended with the slam of a door
Then he'll call her a whore
Wish he wouldn't be sore
But as she was leaving
It felt like breathing

All her f*ckin' lives
Flashed before her eyes (Ah-ah-ah)
It feels like the time
She fell through the ice
Then came out alive

She's been many places
With Men of many faces
First, they're off to the races
And she's laughing, drawin' aces
But none of it is changin'
That the chariot is waitin'
Hearts are hers for the breakin'
There's escape in escaping

Started with a kiss
"Oh, we must stop meeting like this"
But it always ends up with a town car speeding
Out the drive one evenin'
Ended with the slam of a door
But she's got the best stories
You can be sure
That as she was leaving
It felt like freedom

All her f*ckin' lives
Flashed before her eyes (And she realized)
It feels like the time
She fell through the ice
Then came out alive

---

Robin

Long may you reign
You're an animal, you are bloodthirsty
Out window panes talking utter nonsense
You have no idea

Strings tied to levers
Slowed-down clocks tethered
All this showmanship
To keep it for you in sweetness

Way to go, tiger
Higher and higher
Wilder and lighter
For you

Long may you roar
At your dinosaurs
You're a just ruler
Covered in mud, you look ridiculous
And you have no idea

Buried down deep
And out of your reach
The secret we all vowed
To keep it from you in sweetness

Way to go, tiger
Higher and higher
Wilder and lighter
For you

You got the dragonflies above your bed
You have a favorite spot on the swing set
You have no room in your dreams for regrets
(You have no idea)
The time will arrive for the cruel and the mean
You'll learn to bounce back just like your trampoline
But now we'll curtail your curiosity
In sweetness

Way to go, tiger (Way to go, tiger)
Higher and higher (Higher and higher)
Wilder and lighter
For you

---

The Manuscript

Now and then she rereads the manuscript
Of the entire torrid affair
They compared their licenses
He said, "I'm not a donor but
I'd give you my heart if you needed it"
She rolled her eyes and said
"You're a professional"
He said, "No, just a good samaritan"
He said that if the sex was half as good as the conversation was
Soon they'd be pushin' strollers
But soon it was over

In the age of him, she wished she was thirty
And made coffee every morning in a Frеnch press
Afterwards she only atе kids' cereal
And couldn't sleep unless it was in her mother's bed
Then she dated boys who were her own age
With dart boards on the backs of their doors
She thought about how he said since she was so wise beyond her years
Everything had been above board
She wasn't sure

And the years passed
Like scenes of a show
The Professor said to write what you know
Lookin' backwards
Might be the only way to move forward
Then the actors
Were hitting their marks
And the slow dance
Was alight with the sparks
And the tears fell
In synchronicity with the score
And at last
She knew what the agony had been for

The only thing that's left is the manuscript
One last souvenir from my trip to your shores
Now and then I reread the manuscript
But the story isn't mine anymore