Mineshaft II

Fifteen years from tonight, you have to make a decision
The greatest love of your life is gonna call during dinner
From the home of the girl that he's living with now
And the guilt, he'll say, is killing him, he's wilted in the middle
And he knows how bad he acted, knows he can't have you back
But the fact is he can't be happy when you're angry
And you're so angry

He says you stayed so mad, and he heard it on the street that
You moved back in with your dad
That you were drinking something awful, and that that makes him sad
And then he says it's good to hear your voice again
And that it's hard to ask it, but he's calling with a question
'Cause he's been working real hard, he's trying to make a new start
An honest-to-God fresh beginning
So maybe you could try to finally find it in your heart to forgive him

You've already been here before
You already know where it goes
You chose this, you know it's supposed to be over
You've been here before
You already know where it goes
You chose this, you know it's supposed to be over

You hung up the phone, you listened to the dial tone
And you stared at the stove until the beeping started
You read some love letters, some threats
And some you couldn't tell apart
That you keep under the bed at the apartment
And then you did what he asked you to do
You opened your heart up right there on a napkin on the carpet
And part of it was frostbit, but you've always been a smart kid
Could still distinguish the blood, black as pitch
Valves have gone stiff, veins and scar tissue
Four chambers, just a standard issue
But none had room, forgiveness is huge
And you had two full of ice water, one full of salt
One packed with coal
Eager and ready and willing to find fault
To find fault, to find fault, to find fault

You've already been here before
You already know where it goes
You chose this, you know it's supposed to be over
You've been here before
You already know where it goes
You chose this, you know it's supposed to be over

Then with your heart in your lap and your head in your hands
Suddenly you had a plan
Wrap the mess in newspaper headed west on Hennepin
Heavy with a huge favor for a kid that just turned ten
A flat-chested, gap-toothed girl was the best that I've been so far
And now I'm too big to forgive him
I need just a moment with me, a moment when I was still little

I used to sing from the roof outside my windowsill
And I came hoping some ghost of me would be here still
And here you are, stick figure and a busted grin
Still ignorant of all the trouble I'mma get us in
Hoping we could trade, just for tonight
Like I could borrow your heart and I could leave you mine
It's not much for collateral, tattered and battle-scarred
But I can promise you solemn that I will be back for it tomorrow
I only need yours this evening so I can call an old friend
And I can tell him that we're finally even
That we're finally even

You chose this, you know it's supposed to be over
(You've) I've been here before
And (you already) I know where it goes
You chose this, you know it's supposed to be over