A Martyr For My Love For You

(album: Icky Thump - 2007)

She was sixteen and six feet tall
In a crowd of teenagers coming out of the zoo
She stumbled, started to slip and fall
Teeter-tottered on the top of patent leather shoes
I happened to catch her and said
"Maybe these ruby shoes are a little cumbersome for you"
Maybe for you, now

But not as shaky as I must have seemed
Talking junk through her giggle, little teenage dream
And on the phone, I could not compete
My dumb-luck fake competence was getting weak
For a sec' I thought I sounded sweet
But sure enough in a gruff, faint voice
I heard myself speak

I could stay a while
But sooner or later, I'll break your smile
And I can tell a joke
But one of these days I'm bound to choke
And we could share a kiss
But I feel like I can't go through with this
And I bet we could build a home
But I know the right thing for me to do
Is to leave you alone
Leave you alone, now

I'm beginning to like you
So you probably won't get what I'm going to do
I'm walking away from you
It probably don't make much sense to you
But I'm trying to save you
From all of the things that I'll probably say or do
I'll probably do

I could stay a while
But sooner or later, I'll break your smile
And I can tell a joke
But one of these days I'm bound to choke
And we might share a kiss
But I feel like I can't go through with this
And I bet we could build a home
But I know the right thing for me to do
Is to leave you alone
Leave you alone, now

You'll probably call me a fool
And say I'm doing exactly what a coward would do
And I'm beginning to like you
It's a shame what a lame way to live
But what can I do?
I hope you appreciate what I do

I'm a martyr for my love for you
A martyr for my love for you, now
A martyr for my love for you
A martyr for my love for you