She Was 22

She was 22, and she never knew she was pretty
He was 34, and he knew better
But he loved the way she sang
And the ring on his finger made things a bit stranger
They knew they were playing with fire

But she was on her own in this little town in New Hampshire
With a storm begun, they both started to run
But they knew it was too late
And the thunder got closer the moment he chose her
She knew she was too far from home
But she was 22, and she never knew she was pretty

And the rain rolled down her spine
And they drank that dark red wine
And she knew she'd lost her mind
But she thought, well, whatever, it can't last forever
And if it turns bad, I'll just run

She was warm and wild, like a lonely child with no anchor
She was 22, and he knew what to do
And she hungered for so much
And he gathered the pieces and fingered the creases
Of fear and reserve in her brow

He was 34, and he wanted more than his story
She was 22, and he said, "I love you"
And she'd never felt those words
And his hands began tracing, their patterns erasing
The doubts that would keep them apart
But she was 22, and she never knew she was lonely

And his hand ran down her spine
So she drank more dark red wine
She forgot she'd lost her mind
And she thought she knew better, she let the dream get her
She thought when she woke up, she could run

And it's funny, how time warps a story's profanity
Each new version tinted to serve our own sanity
The most painful part is to face the reality
That he never really was in love with you
His ego was served by the age 22
And his earnestness flickers away in what's true
Because several years later, he found someone new
So trusting and lonely, and still 22

Who loved him, but probably she never knew
She was witty and pretty
And worth something too

Now she's 29, she no longer pines for his romance
He's now 41, and he's still on the run
But she let go of his hand
And he changed her whole framework
It's funny how shame works
To keep us afraid of ourselves
But she was 22, and she never knew she was pretty