Population Minus One

(album: III - 2001)

What the heck was I thinking
Coming and living in this concrete canyon
Trying to swim upstream in a river of vacant-eyed people
Where are they all going so fast
And what in the world could be so important

Man, I miss Mama
Wonder what she's doing
Probably looking out the kitchen window
At that green grass and that clear sky
Daddy's probably sneaking up behind her
Putting his arms around her waist
Resting that head on her shoulder
Telling her how much he loves her
That's what I oughta be doing with you right now

I find it hard to breathe without you next to me
Gonna leave this phone hanging, I'm gone
Before the sun goes down, gonna ditch this town
Population minus one

Oh yeah, I know what I was thinking, I wasn't
I came this close to making the biggest mistake of my life
Is that a train I hear in the background
You're on the porch aren't you
Got your head resting on that pillow on the swing
Your bare feet propped up on those chain links
Your toenails painted all cotton candy pink, oh man
Let's see, smog or the smell of summer in your hair
I'm outta here

I find it hard to breathe without you next to me
Gonna leave this phone hanging, I'm gone
Before the sun goes down, gonna ditch this town
Population minus one

Baby, I can't tell you how good it felt
Rolling back into this little map dot
Seeing those sugar maples shading Main Street
And I never noticed it before, but I smiled when I saw
Those post-game celebration beer bottle dents
In that deer crossing sign
Ya know, a few of those were ours
Kiss me, no you kiss me

It feels so good to breathe with you here next to me
In your arms it feels like home
Gonna watch the sun go down
I need ya more than I need that town
Population minus one

Watching that sunset, your hand in mine
Just look at you and me, right where we need to be