It’s hard to get your bearings
In the shadow of the cranes
These are young men’s alleys
And songbirds’ claims
But one faithless smile and I’ll
Smite all these jokers just the same

All the comrades and the sweethearts
Have coupled up and flown
We’ve been betting on some phantoms
We’ve been starving like stones
The red clang of midnight
Will be here soon enough to shame us home

So you fake a swagger
I’ll pick my dress up off the floor
You can’t clear out the wreckage
If you won’t even clear the door
Hear the snare drums beating
So insistent, wound so tight
Stranger, will you see me tonight?

Once trouble was a treasure
And we chased it like the wind
Paraded all our damage
With a flourish and a grin
Our chests thrown open
Just enthralled with all the sadness rushing in

Now, countless autumns later
And the trouble’s grave and true
A mist has crept up on us
Our nerves are scattered blue
The store fronts blink out
And we squint for just a trace of what we knew

So slur me sweet nothings
Just before the moonlight dies
Drop it in reverse
We’ll hold on for dear life
And if we fall short of stunning
At least we can say that we tried

I’ll fake a swagger
You pick your mask up off the floor
We can’t clear out the wreckage
If we won’t even clear the door
Hear the snare drums beating
So insistent, wound so tight
Stranger, will you see me tonight?

I got my back against the record machine
I ain’t the worst that you’ve seen