Right now I’m not working
She said we could split it
Just glad to be finished and not even tempted
But it’s so goddamn sad in her house right now
He’s still here in everything
She just needs a break from it
Said she wants to come with

We left really early
Went from St. Paul to Cicero in my Chevrolet that didn’t have any radio
Had a boombox in the back seat that was running on batteries
Played “1999” into “Led Zepperlin III”
When the tape deck got all wobbly she still sang the harmonies

The transaction was easy
My buddy looked similar just a little bit heavier
And counting all the money in front of him seemed silly
This isn’t the movies
It was over so quickly
Wayne got in his car
Drove into the sunset, turned left onto Cermak
And she turned to me and said:

I’ve never been to Chicago
I got nothing going on tomorrow
Maybe we could stay here tonight
Lose ourselves in the glass and light
Never been to Chicago
I’ve got nothing going on tomorrow
Maybe we could stay here tonight
Lose ourselves in the glass and light

We got a room at the Hyatt
Michigan Avenue I can still picture you
We each got a toothbrush from Walgreens
We drank in the taverns, we ate somewhere Italian

Then she’s on the sidewalk trying to ask for a cigarette from oncoming traffic
I felt God in the buildings
The light from the skyscrapers showing up in the river
And four years didn’t seem like much anymore
We both want the same things
We kissed on the corner
We kissed in the corridors
We fumbled with clothing
We all want the same things
And then it was morning

We were limping up towards Lake Street and she motioned towards the church
Said the hardest question thing they ask me is “Amanda does it hurt?”
‘Cause it’s not pain, it’s more like pressure on the edges of my eyes
I see scales and bloody feathers when I look into the lights

And my password is “be honest”
And my network is evolved
And I can’t guarantee I’ll pick up every time that you call

Ain’t it spooky when they all go away?
Ain’t it strange when they just disappear?
It really sucks getting sick on the bus
It’s even worse when the teenagers cheer
Ain’t it funny how we all get by?
But not the way that makes us laugh
The lust burns off into handshakes and hugs
In the end it comes down to the cash

I was calling from the carpark when they kicked in the door
They pulled the pistols from the holsters
Put the people on the floor
It’s not the fear, it’s the frustration
Getting sick of being scared
They pulled your princess to her feet
Made a handle from her hair

I was thinking about the progress
How a change is gonnas come
I was hearing the announcements
I was running from the guns
Desperation fueled the dancers
There’s a sadness in the sex
They lingered over dinners and then ran out on the check

And our safe word is still “stop it”
And our style is self involved
And I can’t guarantee I’ll pick up every time that you call

Ain’t it something how the people switch partners?
Yeah, you just got to wait your turn
It’s really hard getting kicked in the heart
It’s even worse watching big buildings burn
Ain’t it strange how it all fades to black
Just when it starts to feel really nice?
I was banging round your party
Trying to locate all the love and the light

And the speed it crested early and then it ran its course
I showered and got ready and started on my chores
It was rushing through my blood
It was coming from my pores
And my heart was charging forward and I threw up off the porch

We were limping up on Lake Street and she motioned towards the church
She said the hardest question ever is “Amanda does it hurt?”
It’s not pain, it’s just a pressure but it some ways that’s much worse
The ruins of an empire and the people we once were