Off The Clock

Remember when we laid the seats down flat
Had no answer when they asked if we'd be coming back
You brought the U-Haul to my fifth grade graduation
And the teachers make bets on our future occupations
They said I'd make a fine acrobat
They didn't know I'd had some practice falling through the cracks
We left to beat the rush on 290 West
With tear stains dripping down on my Sunday best

It's time I gave you your roses, you parted water like moses
To keep food on the table, I was too young to be grateful
Seventeen years, you gave all you got
Now you're off the clock, off the clock
Oh you're off the clock, off the clock

Remember when we painted those great big pictures
Men would come and go like temporary fixtures
You may have built this house on a fault line
But you never made me feel like the fault was mine
You said I'm sorry we don't have a bigger family
When you played mom and dad it never felt like we were lacking
Here I'm older now than you were when you had me
No matter what I know, you loved me madly

It's time I gave you your roses, you parted water like moses
To keep food on the table, I was too young to be grateful
Seventeen years, you gave all you got
Now you're off the clock, off the clock
Oh you're off the clock, off

I never thought to ask what it felt like for you
Were we running or chasing, or just starting new?
People like to joke that we raised each other
You were the captain, I was the rudder
We were running from ghosts but called it adventure
You never meant to break me with your good intentions

It's time I gave you your roses, you parted water like moses
To keep food on the table, I was too young to be grateful
Seventeen years, you gave all you got
Now you're off the clock, off the clock
Oh you're off the clock, off the clock