Setlist + Lyrics – September 23, 2023

made up my mind to be on time for you
i want to give more of what you need
taking chances, i’m saving my dances, you know
i’ve never been one to lead

in the longest night, i’ll get it right again
these tests weren’t made for people like me
feel it in the wind, your body spins in time
like the whole world is dancing free

saw you leave, the way you held back
saw the way the light hit your eyes

i walk your street and every tree it reaches
with its long and lonely arms
at your doorstep, with all that’s left i’m holding
we’ll keep each other from all harm

hey friend, give me a ride
i promise not to get in the way
i’ll earn my keep my nose clean
need an interstellar shelter in space

i’d go with you anytime

looking up at the stars
or looking down at the earth
never dark enough for a good view
take this wonder what is it worth

i’d go with you anytime

hey friend, give me a ride
i’m holding on, my sense of adventure
my sense of adventure
my sense of adventure

i can see this wearing thin
hairline cracks have grown
this is heavy, not sinking in
bracing for the unknown

what year is this? fill me in
i’m trying to find my home
do i know you? is this somewhere i’ve been?
heading toward the unknown

the rain came before morning
and fell so softly on our bones
saw your face when you let the light in
looking past the unknown

i’ll hold my breath and cover my skin
and i’ll wait like i’ve been shown
the fire burns as the night drifts in
i’ll wait for you, the unknown

my heavy hands, pulling shapes from the air
some survive
that broken skyline, i walked for miles
and i’ll never be there again

from glassy water to waves pulled by the moon
i can see you through the cloudy darkness

branches bend, reaching low with
heavy hands, summer rain
creatures swim in the sky above
they’ve lived through more than i’ll see

we kissed under a broken streetlight
you smiled in the strange electric haze

i’ll take you back, under the moon
in the lookout in the rain
there’s nothing left, there’s no purpose
but we’ll find what we need

we wandered recklessly on these old roads
i carelessly held you so closely

hands on my face, i’m sinking in slowly
i have time to think about what i’m doing
living in my head, making a lovely home here
i swear i’m trying to find you some room

i remember going home, wherever that would be
and the muddy days before i chose to care
memories in pieces, i guess it’s not so bad
i’ve tried to pick and choose who lives there

the flickering projector, the screen as big as life
some tastes i’m sure i owe to you
is my memory in movies, and is that so bad
it’s been so long, so long overdue

i saw you at the end of the block
‘neath these hundred year old trees
at six to ten feet we stopped to talk
under cloudy skies and summer’s heavy heat

under a dark sky, under stars so bright
you getaway drove until street signs were gone
stopped on the roadside, turned off the headlights
stared at that deep black sky, then moved on

maybe i’ll see you again
in a decade, or the world’s end
maybe i’ll see you sometime

they built with stone to keep the hope in
ready for trouble, ready for a feast
you and i are good at beginning
we’ll stay if we want to, run if we need

glad i saw you again
in this new town, at the world’s end
i’m glad we have some time

the fires burn and glow into the night
secrets don’t sleep and they know how to find us
under a dark sky, under stars so bright
you and i are here and that’s enough

i let the tall grass swallow me up
summer dirt wet with rain
i let the water tap like fingertips
felt the grass and mud stain

in the time it takes to get across the ocean
i could lie here, never move again

i climbed and climbed but lost my way
swear the ground, it changed direction
my hands refused to carry my weight
my thoughts open to dissection

in the time it takes to fight hard enough to win
i could sink in, never fight again

fresh cut grass and dusty earth
summer shade and a view
i let clouds roll in, dark and grey
landscapes change and i do

buzzing in the trees
or is it my phone
is someone calling me?

rumbling in the skies
or is it the ground
should i duck or climb?

shadows in the fog
or is it just me
turn to look and they’re gone

rustling in the leaves
or is it nothing
nothing coming after me?

screaming in the dark
or is it just you
trying to do your part?

footsteps creaking close
or is it just you
are you someone i know?

i won’t go back to some golden age
where everything, you say, was better
the time we have now is right here
it’s real, i can hold it for a second

moving forward, even if i strayed
it’ll last but it won’t last forever
the time we have now, it’s never clear
don’t run to the past, let it beckon

we may not have tomorrow
but we’ll never make yesterday again

hurts to think how clocks they turn
but time will go either way
we’ve got it all, as much as we can
rather walk in the dark than wait for mine

take your time, your time to yearn
relive the love but don’t stay
i’ll learn to slow down, that’s my plan
be careful where you step, don’t fall in line

we may not have tomorrow
but we’ll never make yesterday again

spent ten years thinking
caught up searching for the right words
dictionaries keep changing
i’m writing all my letters again

learning your language
hear you talking ‘bout your day
while the earth keeps tumbling
we’re taking our sweet time

i get lost between the seasons
like i’m breathing in thin air
never saw you leaving
know i’ll see you somewhere

all this time spent being sure
i know nothing is close to answered
though my ink is running dry
i’m writing all my letters again

i get lost between the seasons
like i’m breathing in thin air
never saw you leaving
know i’ll see you somewhere

i’ll take the messiness of this
over the certainty i longed for
by the light of a day barely starting
this isn’t everything but something more

always worried about the future, present, past
worried now and that’s all right
by the grace of the road you’re traveling
i’ll meet you between yours and mine

some days sway
with the heaviness of it all
even though we tread so lightly

if i don’t see you, tell me if you got this
it’s a long way to your eyes
by the light of a city in distress
i hope you make it out, make it out in time

gonna get normal
get into a routine
but my mind keeps fighting back
somebody please
get me out of my house
i’ve tried everything but that

all these mornings disappear
like cars in dust on a dirt road
sometimes the distance is too much
while everything in the world feels too close

all these sunny days
the warmth that comes with them
i like the promise winter brings
someplace far away
storms are being born
the danger gives no reason to leave

all these mornings disappear
like cars in dust on a dirt road
sometimes the distance is too much
while everything in the world feels too close

hang in there, baby
they have nothing on you
they put on a big show
but no one believes it’s true

waiting on a missile
waiting for the rain
it’s never as bad as they say
but it’s never the same

trees move like nightmares
cars sound like death
walking past the cemetery
i won’t hold my breath

hang in there, baby
and i’ll hang in too
they’ll always try to take it all away
but they have nothing on you

hang in there, baby
hang in there, baby
hang in there, baby
hang in there, baby

standing outside on my porch
searching the sky for fireworks
the moon lights up the clouds
i look up then back down

take these few steps to the street
take in the time, the quiet set aside for me
the night keeps pushing through
then the morning with you

sunlight’s streaming in
always too bright at the day’s end
shadows hold their shape
stars leave what they may

standing outside my back door
one last look before the storm
i hear the quiet city sounds
i look up then back down

sunlight’s streaming in
always too bright at the day’s end
shadows hold their shape
stars leave what they may

walk with me a little while, we will feel the wind
blow our hair around
and our feet will push the ground
in the direction we want it to go

stay with me a little while, we will feel the air
at least it’s fresh and new
it’s not that clean but it will do
oh we’ll breath easier, yes, you told me so

if there’s an answer hidden here
then you will be searching for a long, long time
and there’s a life that’s waiting to be found
but you know i’d never leave you behind

i’ve been here a little while, and i have felt the wind
come from down the mountain
twist and turn and back again
in my direction as if it might know

stay with me a little while, we will watch the sky
fade from black to blue
the day is here, we are too
and we’ll breathe easy, yes, you told me so
we’ll breathe easy, yes, you told me so

there’s an answer hidden here
and we’ve been searching for a long, long time
and there’s a life that’s waiting to be found
but you know i’d never leave you behind
you know i’d never leave you behind

i may stay this way for years
almost knowing, never quite sure
i’ve held this in my hands
can’t count the times
the harder i try, the harder i try

you may see me someday when
you’re done imagining you’ll see me again
i’ll hold you in my arms
like i did in my mind
the harder i try, the harder i try

it may seem so obvious
mapping this route that found us
i’ll hold truth in my hands
like it was always mine
the harder i try, the harder i try

i can see it when i close my eyes
the bridge that leads from here to that side
i’ll take each step
like each step was mine
the harder i try, the harder i try

dark eyes and flowing red hair dyed brown
blue paintings all around, but her eyes facing the ground
i tried, she was like a queen
i thought the best i’d ever seen, but another man’s rose of abilene

her scarf, it was dusty blue
and it shone like the moonlight on somebody’s tomb
i starved myself for affection
sensitive attention, my soft angelic pretension

her man, he travelled to talk to me
left me bruised and bloody on a street i’d never see
i can’t put my eyes to the ground
i see her all around, but she’ll never make a sound

the aftertaste of love is bitter
wish i’d never met her, or that i could forget her
such a waste of hearts like hers and mine
i’ll learn some lesson in time, you could read a novel in someone’s eyes

the mandolins sang softly and sweetly in the warm summer air
drifting like the breeze that brought you then took you from me
i sat at the café till the lady took all the chairs inside
then i sat on the sidewalk, just sat till the sun came up

we danced in the street, i stepped on your feet again and again
waltzing so clumsy like the goodnight kiss landing on your cheek
i walked all the way home, down streets that i know, and still got lost
the time we had spent left me a mess, i’m still here

the end of it all won’t come soon enough for my mandolin
we remember the chords but the melody lines are long lost
i had hold of your hands long enough to write down the words
but they left like the breeze that danced you and took you from me
they left like the breeze that danced you and took you from me

main street is heaven tonight
my car is the only one on the road
i could close my eyes and go through all the red lights
and make it home

up too late with nothing to say
and i left early even though you asked me to stay
the morning light is far too blue for me not to be with you
and i wish i had stayed
but there will be another day

there is something wonderful about everything you do
and never enough ways to say just how i feel about you
nothing feels quite the same
now that you’re around to blame for this good feeling
and my door opens to a glad new day

the stars shine like dreams
and the galaxy spins exactly as it seems
for the first time in a long time, i feel all right
i feel all right, i feel all right

every time i want to talk to you i just talk to myself
and every time i want to be with you i’m just by myself
but i know you’re a safe bet, i’m as sure as can be
and i know, though sometimes i forget that you don’t hate me

and i hope, i hope you are here to stay

time goes by so slow when i’m waiting for it to go by
writing these words but no
there’s so much you don’t know
these thoughts sound so funny in songs
so much to get wrong
only days since you’ve been gone
but it’s only taken this long to know there’s nothing wrong

and i hope, i hope you are here to stay
here to stay
here to stay
here to stay

cooling down a little bit, almost fall and we will sit
in our backyard in our long scarves
watching dogs chase aeroplanes

words we both say will dance and play
we will kiss and they will stay in both our hearts
as we part and as we join together again

dance around my pretty lady to a song we both know well
close your eyes and when your rise i will be right there by your side

when winter comes it will be fun to be cold for a month or two
the desert’s strong, cold won’t last long
we want to wear jackets every day of the year

dance around my pretty lady to a song we both know well
close your eyes and when your rise i will be right there by your side

dance around my pretty lady to a song we both know well
close your eyes and when your rise i will be right there by your side

i’ll be leaving in the morning, i’ll be gone and on my way
i’ll be looking for you, darling, every single step i take
the road may be long and winding and i’m no good at directions
but i will find my way across, yes, i will find my way

i’ll buy a bag of flower seeds and when they finally bloom
i’ll tie a ribbon ‘round the stem and deliver them to you
the soil’s bad and water’s scarce and the weeds they grow so tall
but they will find a way to blossom, they will find their way

this trucker’s atlas is too old, these roads are all shut down
the planes have all been grounded but the buses they got out
may take some time to get there and my feet are worn and sore
but i will find my way to you, yes, i will find my way

saw each other on the road between nowhere and nowhere else
you were with your dogs and i was by myself
my map was torn and faded but you had one of your own
and we will find our way across, yes, we will find our way

i can’t sleep until these thoughts leave my head
trying to work it all out, tossing, turning in my bed

i try to keep my eyes closed
but the light of the moon, it knows

the speed of it all is so much
i try to get bored, it’s not enough

i’ve seen you, lifetimes pass
it’s endless, it’s finite, it is what we have

the coldest night of the year
i feel so alive even if it hurts

but while we’re waiting this will change
and the light of the moon shows the way