honey, of course
i don't blame you
for richer, for poorer
i would've divorced me, too
you flow, and i force
you advance, i review
i would've divorced myself, too
ya picked the wrong horse
well, what can you do
no i'm not sore
i would've divorced me, too
so don’t second-guess yourself
i wouldn't have
amazing that you could
live with me that long
i couldn’t have
did i shrink? not sure
maybe we both grew
but who's keeping score
i would've divorced me, too
once we lost the source
once we lost the juice
'cause love's not a war
nor just a truce
so pull that ripcord
please and thank you
show me the door
i would've divorced me, too
i know it’s a blow
to the whole big band love
but when they’re grown
gotta believe they will understand, love
now how to move forward
don't have a clue
'cept not with our remorse
wish i could divorce me, too
'cause who deserves more
or as much as you do
oh boy, oh lord
i guess divorced me, too
you can take that pepper spray
with a grain of salt
if it happened yesterday
then it's not my fault
'cause me, i could run with any crowd
though i'd hate to brag
i can leave my house without
a target on my back
so thank you mom & dad
you sure did do me right
i really hit the jackpot
when i came out white
the fact's my past's a proud one
and my future is bright
daddy that was awful savvy
making me white, alright
raised me just like good folks should
gave me all the tools
like that nice safe neighborhood
and those nice clean schools
now i'm paid quite handsomely
though i'd hate to boast
but i'm free from sea to sea
ya see, from coast to coast
so thank you mom & dad
you sure did make me right
i really hit the jackpot
when i came out white
i won't be called a traitor
just for putting up a fight
golly that was so smart mommy
making me white, alright
and while i'm in the mood for gratitude
must say i'm overjoyed
by your decision, your grand vision
to have me be a boy
and as if that wasn't enough lovin' to love
how kind it was back then
to raise me as an
upper-middle-class American
so i look back on my life
clearly as i can
take a deep breath, tell my wife
listen, here's the plan
we're gonna not change anything
not one stripe, one star
pray our kids are born to win
with skin that looks like ours
and they'll say
thank you mom & dad
you sure did make us right
we really hit the big time
when we came out white
it's so damn nice to not get shot
for stepping outside
we really dodged a bullet
when we came out white, alright!
there are many situations
in which i'd be embarrassingly scared
if i faced an alien invasion
or came upon a big grizzly bear
yeah, but you sir, you're impressive
just standing there, shaking in your shoes
scared to send an urgent message
just 'cause of some dumb game
that you're afraid to lose
let's hear it, honey
the topic of the hour is
unnecessary cowardice
like when those men in power
are acting so damn powerless
unnecessary cowardice
unnecessary cowardice
if my wife was choking on some candy
or if my kids were kidnapped from our home
i would probably soil my panties
yeah i'd be quaking in my little chromosomes
but you get the medal, yeah, you're next level
just lying there, terrified and tamed
by some lightweight, duct-taped devil
whose only curse to cast's to call you nasty names
what's the idea
uh, why are we allowing this
unnecessary cowardice
somehow i doubt ya
are really deeply proud of this
unnecessary cowardice
unnecessary cowardice
truth is i was kinda lyin' about me
at times i've also been very
unnecessarily cowardly
with my marriage, and my work, too
but at least i'm full of shame
so here's some shame for you
only fools would ever fear me
only a fly would ever call me brave
i'm no hero, but i hope you'll hear me
while you still have a little soul that's left to save
not tryin' to break ya
just tryin' to shake the clouds of this
unnecessary cowardice
'cause we may not make it out of
another bloody bout of this
unnecessary cowardice
unnecessary cowardice
though we both feel it, we can't speak it
so we just leave it our little secret
once was a whisper in the streets
it runs like a river, our little secret
floats as it flows to the open ocean
words getting stirred up like a witch's potion
watch as we watch history repeated
acting surprised it survives
our little secret
home, 'fraid to write it, 'fraid to read it
don't get excited, our little secret
man, no one checked out, no one cheated
then how's it wrecked now, our little secret
gone, we cry auntie, we we cry uncle
egged on, it echoes, all around the jungle
wet while we wept as the troops retreated
acting distraught that they lost
our little secret
my infidel, why not kiss and tell
if nobody's listenin' to a single thing you say
what's the big deal of the big reveal
if everyone near here's looking away
come, who else lived it, who could leak it
one one-way ticket, our little secret
you're in my heart, kid, you'll never leave it
'course, but fear not, it's our little secret
and if some grandchildren lucky guess it
sir, i'll be first to never confess it
pissed that the past has to go untreated
safe 'til the radio plays
our little secret
anna
wish i could plan
another nervous breakdown
but i checked the dates
i looked, anna
and sadly, i'm pretty booked
i miss
our midlife crisis
be glad to have a new one
but it's late and honestly, anna
i can't find the energy
me on the red carpet, curled up there
you on some bridge downtown
this skin's the only thing i have to wear
it's white as a wedding gown now
you on the red carpet, curled up there
me on some bridge downtown
this skin's the only thing we have to wear
it's white as a cotton shroud now
tried it
keepin' it private
i know you wanna hide it
but this head's no hiding place
too crowded for you just to have some space
anna
anna
anna
why should all the nights we've known
get thrown under the bus
how it ends doesn't change
how it was
to hell with the last image, and curse the coda
F.U. to the finish, 'cause although the
slice of time we spend there's very little
it tends to skew our sense of
every part from the start to the middle
must the waltz before the wreck
get swept under the rug
how it ends doesn't change
how it was
it's true that when a great ship hits a glacier
it's just high school physics, human nature
they'll say it sank quickly, duly noted
but what about those million other moments
when it floated
if it sailed on just like it had
for sure that'd be a plus
but how it ends doesn't change
how it was
and it was very good
up the coasts, down the aisle
not into the sunset
but for many miles
the same for every flame that's built to burn out
every midnight train that's overturned now
twisted path that comes full circle
and let's see, oh, for every single life
that’s not eternal
those soft lips, those sweethearts
they were ours, that was us
how it ends doesn't change
how it was