...Well, Better Than the Alternative

Pink lemonade on autumn bomber coats
Peter Pan collars, but my daughter's growing up
She's gonna be a lot like me
But I don't wanna be at all like me

Oh, yellow buzz-cuts, pulling out stingers
You're telling me I'm holding up 11 fingers
And stranger things than death can happen
To lab rat girls and pretty white rabbits

But everybody knows that, nobody knows that
Everybody's in on everybody's business
This isn't my first Christmas, I know mistletoe when I see it

Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what's wrong with me
Could you tell me how I'm right for you?
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what's wrong with me
Could you tell me how, could you tell me how, and if I'm still pretty?

Cigarette burns, laugh lines, wide dimples
If they could see the future back when times were simple
Would they kiss your cheek or yank the bandage off?
Let you speak or take advantage of how
If everyone's sick, well then nobody can catch it
And if everybody's different how could anybody match?
And we're looking through the pockets of the hand-me-downs we laid out
Wondering if we'll fit into the yesterdays we played out

Everybody knows that, nobody knows that
Everybody's all up in my goddamn business
This isn't my first kiss
It's better to be lost than loved, now, isn't it?

Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what's wrong with me
Could you tell me how I'm right for you?
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what's wrong with me
Could you tell me how, could you tell me how, and if I'm still pretty?

Walking bikes home with a scraped-knee, sunset smudged across your brow
Warmer tears than you've grown used to since then
A toast to the nosebleed seats
And the big dream sequence where you're found
Guilty of your innocence and gently sent right back to bed

Everybody knows that, nobody knows that
Everybody's all up in my motherfucking business
This isn't my first anything
This isn't my first anything

Everybody knows that, nobody knows that
Everybody's in on everybody's business
This isn't my first lyric, I know exactly how I should finish it

Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
And when we find out what's wrong with me
Could you tell me how I'm right for you?
Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
After all of that's been done to me
Could you tell me how, could you tell me how, could you tell me

What's so wrong about what's wrong with me?
I'm just trying to do what's right by you
What's so wrong about what's wrong with me?
Oh, I'm just trying to do what's right by you

Baby, could you play along with me?
Baby, would that be alright with you?
After all of that's been done with me
Could you tell me how, could you tell me how
Could you tell me how?