Coyote Grin

[Verse 1]
The graveyard shift at the Pendleton Pilot, Tuesday, 2:17 AM.
You walked in under the buzz of the fluorescents with him.
I saw the great horned owl in the set of your jaw,
And I felt the rabbit in my throat go raw.
Flipping burgers, watching you from the heat and the steam,
Living out my hungriest dream.

[Chorus 1]
And the moon's a mean sliver over Highway 84,
The kind of night a predator's been waiting for.
The hunt is almost over now, I can see the end,
Got myself a coyote grin.

[Verse 2]
The air got cold as a well, you didn't touch your pie.
He threw a ten on the counter, didn't meet your eye.
The bell on the door was the only sound he made,
A clean kill in the booth that my ambition laid.
You just sat there, tracing rings in the condensation,
A quiet wreck at a lonely station.

[Chorus 2]
And the moon's a mean sliver over Highway 84,
The kind of prize a predator's been waiting for.
The field is finally clear now, let the real work begin,
Wearing my best coyote grin.

[Bridge]
I wiped my hands on my apron, walked across the checkered floor,
Poured you a fresh cup, knowing what I came for.
You looked up at my shadow, your face pale and thin,
"You get what you wanted?" you asked, letting the silence in.

[Chorus 3]
And the moon's a blind eye over Highway 84,
But it's not the prize I was waiting for.
I see the trap I built now, from the outside looking in,
God, I hate this coyote grin.

[Outro]
Yeah, I hate this coyote grin.