Lacquer & Bone

[Verse 1]
The silver '08 Accord is back on the lift again.
You trace the new key-scratch, a bitter little gift, and then
You catch the smell of stale coffee and a hard September rain.
Find a crumpled note inside: "Don't be late for me again."

[Chorus]
Oh, the beautiful damage, the lacquer and bone.
You're just the man who fixes it, watching it all alone.
They don't know they'll miss this, the fight and the mend.
This is the story before the story ends.

[Verse 2]
There's a half-pack of Winstons shoved under the seat.
A fine coat of red clay from County Road 3.
Your own calloused hands remember the heat from a dash just like this,
The weight of a silence that broke with a kiss.

[Chorus]
Oh, the beautiful damage, the lacquer and bone.
You're just the man who fixes it, watching it all alone.
They don't know they'll miss this, the fight and the mend.
This is the story before the story ends.

[Bridge]
You smooth out the panel with the palm of your hand,
Fixing a structure they don't understand.

[Outro]
Just buffing the clear coat so the hurt doesn't show.
Yeah, buffing the clear coat and letting them go.