THE WORLD KEEPS PASSING BY

Should you want me you know I’ll be waiting
I’ll be waiting here with open arms
And yes I’m aware of the trouble I’m making
By plying you with these charms

And I can’t understand what you’re going through
I’ve never been where you’ve been
And I can’t say I’d want to
So take your time, take every road every street
But should you find in the end only me

Then should you want me you know I’ll be waiting
I’ll be waiting here with open arms

Oh and, maybe I’m just fooling myself
You’d say I’m only wasting my time
Well, maybe but that time is mine
And that last time I checked, hope wasn’t a crime

And should you want me you know I’ll be waiting
I’ll be waiting here to take you home
But until that day we’ve both got our stargazing
And many miles that we must roam

And I already know all the things that you’d say
And I’ll admit that you’re crazy but I mean that in a nice way
So take your time, take every road every street
But should you find in the end only me

Then should you want me you know I’ll be waiting
I’ll be waiting here with open arms

Oh my darling
I know that I should go
The lady down the block
And the psychic told me so

You’re no good for me
They say you don’t play nice
I know if I was smart
I’d take their advice

But don’t you know when you talk like that
You could tell me anything
And I’d believe it

So take this love
Or just leave me flat
Go on and tell me anything
‘Cause I couldn’t leave you if I wanted to

It’s too late for me
And I’m used to your ways
If there’s one thing that I know
Being with you pays

All those precious words
Come tripping from your lips
They’re running down your arms
And through your fingertips

And don’t you know when you talk like that
You could tell me anything
And I’d believe it

So take this love or just leave me flat
Go on and tell me anything
‘Cause I couldn’t leave you if I wanted to

I’d put a chair against the door
I’d draw a line across the floor
Say are you in or out
Tell me now, just what side are you on
I know I’d fail in my endeavour
Just when you’d say “forever”
That’s when I know
Without a doubt that in the morning
You’ll be gone

Oh my darling
It simply isn’t fair
I try to pin things down
You leave them hanging in the air

Then you smile at me
And say why should we fight
Why try to set the terms
Why not just sleep on it tonight?

And don’t you know when you talk like that
You could tell me anything
And I’d believe it

So take this love or just leave me flat
Go on and tell me anything
‘Cause I couldn’t leave you if I wanted to

Oh I’ve dated
And I’ve mated
I’ve seen the prospects
And I’m not elated

It seems I’m better off on my own
Until I’m with you

I’ve picked up
I’ve been fixed up
Oh but lately seems all I’ve been
Is mixed up

So I’ll be spending my fridays alone
Until I’m with you

Oh this is not
A declaration of love
I just want to be with
Someone I want to be with

I never thought
I could get tired of
Just living day to day
But you’re getting
In the way

See I’d get these emails
From random females
I’d try to take them home after one
Too many Cream Ales

But I’ll be doing my drinking alone
Until I’m with you

Oh this is not
A declaration of love
I just want to be with
Someone I want to be with

Seems all I’ve got
To grab a hold of
Is when you feel like this
You start to see
All that you might miss

I took my chances
Had my romances
But now I’m too tired for all those
Same old dances

I’m just hoping you might
You might let these poor arms hold you tight
‘Cause I know that my life won’t be right
Until I’m with you

And I’ll be doing my drinking alone
Until I’m with you

Phone call
We’d like to talk to you
Heard you were the greatest
Back in the day

Come on downtown
To the studio
We’ve got your old records
That we’d love to play

But there’s an old man’s frame
Loose skin and tattoos
A shadow of who he once was

He’s got one hour back in the spotlight
And it’s gone

But tonight he’ll take a six pack
Out to the park
Have a few as he lays in the grass
And dreams beneath the stars
Of the tours and the lights
The girls and the fights
And the music
Oh the music
Then it’s up with the bus in the morning
To catch the bus home

Tell us about the old days
Things were better, the music was true
Those guys you played with got famous
You feel bad that never happened to you

But then the old fire’s back
In those eyes in an instant
No I never expected a thing
Just one brief moment of light
And it’s gone

But tonight he’ll take a six pack
Out to the park
Have a few as he lays in the grass
And dreams beneath the stars
Of the tours and the lights
The girls and the fights
And the music
Oh the music
Then it’s up with the bus in the morning
To catch the bus home

Well you can go back for your car keys
Your change left at the store
Go back for your credit card
It may not be there anymore
Go on back for seconds, thirds, or fourths at the buffet
But it may come back to get you the next day

And if that air mattress you bought just doesn’t work
Or won’t inflate
Take it on back to Canadian tire for a refund or a rebate

But our warranty’s expired
And the holes have all worn through
I think this time goodbye
It’s gonna have to do

So no, we can’t go back
We can’t go back
No not this time
Though it may hurt so
To leave my love
We’ve got to leave this love
Leave this love behind

So go on back to high school
And finish your degree
Yeah but you may find that these days
You need your PHD
Or go back for that shirt
Thrown in passion ‘neath the bed
Well you can even go back on what you said

Or go back for your reunion dress up like the senior prom
Yeah hang out with the less hairs
The more weights or the new moms

You can go back in for your memories
Even when the house is on fire
Yeah but sometimes I think it’s best
To just let the flames go higher and higher

So no, we can’t go back
We can’t go back
No not this time
Though it may hurt so
To leave my love
We’ve got to leave this love
Leave this love behind

It’s like that small town your family went to
When you were just a kid
You always hoped it’d stay the same
Yeah look like it always did
But between the tour bus and the Walmart
Somehow things feel strange
Yeah you can go back
But you know that
It won’t ever be the same

So no, we can’t go back
We can’t go back
No not this time
Though it may hurt so
To leave my love
We’ve got to leave this love
Leave this love behind

Oh I know that you’re already taken
I can tell that you’re out of my league
I guess that’s why I’m sitting here shaking
Like a leaf on a tree

If there’s one thing that I know for certain
Being with you is bad for my health
So let’s call it a night
I’m not quite feeling myself

Guess I’ll just lay low
Still I’d like you to know

You can stay out until early hours
‘Til the lights from the stars all grow dim
Smile when he brings you flowers
But please, don’t give your heart to him
Oh please don’t give your heart to him
Don’t give your heart to him

All this waiting it’s making me nervous
Like an itch that’s just got to be scratched
But it doesn’t seem right
When I know that you’re still attached

Still it seems like the problem is these days
Everyone’s playing for keeps
And he show gets the prize
Makes his move while the other man sleeps

But I hesitate
So for now I’ll wait

Go on let him hold your hold your hand tight
Fly you down to New York on a whim
He may charm you but try as he might
Please, don’t give your heart to him
Oh please don’t give your heart to him
Don’t give your heart

Though I know he’s be lying beside you
Where I might be
Still I hope somehow your heart
Is gonna guide you
Here to me

So go on let him melt in those glances
Pull you close as the morning creeps in
As for me I’ll be taking my chances
But please, don’t give your heart to him
Oh please don’t give your heart to him
Don’t give your heart to him
Don’t give your heart to him

Let’s buy that little house out on the edge of our old town
The down payment’s small because it’s so run down
But there’ll be lots of fresh air and good people around
We’ll dig in both our hands and we’ll raise it from the ground

We’ll both get jobs who knows working in what store
And I might try my hand at what my father’s father did before
My dad missed out when he struck out on his own
But aybe that life is still there it’s just buried in these bones

If that’s a simple dream, guess I’m a simple man
‘Cause for this dream I’ll do all I can

We may not have enough but we’ll have kids in that old house
Do our best to teach them just what this life’s about
We’ll raise good people, citizens through and through
And that’s more good to this world than any bank account could do

If that’s a simple dream, guess I’m a simple man
‘Cause for this dream I’ll do all I can

They’ll be high years and low years
That sun might refuse to shine
But in twenty or so years
Believe it or not, that house could be yours and mine
We came to this city
Each looking for a bit of success

Now we’re reaching for that carrot
But we haven’t got it yet
Meanwhile just scratching by
Means slipping into debt
Now a simple dreams not simple anymore
A simple dreams not simple anymore

Let’s buy that little house out on the edge of our old town
The down payment’s small because it’s so run down
But there’ll be lots of fresh air and good people around
We’ll dig in both our hands and we’ll raise it from the ground

Look at that Sky
In all it’s oranges and blues
How one colour blends into another
Fading into the night

And who’d have thought I
Could melt so easily into you
No you can’t tell one from the other
As we collide
Oh, and you ask yourself
Am I ready for this?
I had so many plans
A whole life I might miss

As all the dreams I had,
How they all get washed away

But it’s not giving up
See I know what I lose
I’ve been down all those roads
Now it’s you that I chose

I guess that’s the thing with dreams
Sometimes they’re subject to change

And oh, I want to take you away
Oh just let me take you away

As darkness descends
And we start out on our own
Mists and shadows might hide the path
We walk upon

It curves and it bends
But I have faith I’ve never known
Just trust the moon will light our way
Until the dawn

So now I’m learning to love
And enjoying the ride
It’s the freedom I feel
While still here at your side

So why keep moving on
When all you want to do is stay

And who knows what lies ahead
What this road has in store
I guess I’ll have to forget
How I plotted each course

For now we’ll be just fine
We’ll make it up along the way

And oh, I want to take you away
Oh just let me take you away

All of my life I’ve been chasing these dreams
All these shadows might have let me pass you by
But now I see that while these were just dreams
Here with you, this is living
This is life

‘Neath this blanket of stars
As we’re holding on so tight
All my fears and doubts are lost
In these clear skies

Tomorrow is ours
But now let’s not waste this night
As we’re waiting for that sun
If we could only slow that sun
Two lovers waiting for that sun
To rise

He’s not young anymore
That’s what everyone keeps sayin’
What the hell’s he waiting for
It’s time he got his life in gear
Seems like everyone else
They’ve got the answers
They all know where he should go
What he should do how to get there
From here

Almost thirty now
With nothing to hold on to
He’s scratching by somehow
Odd jobs to pay the rent
Dawn breaks
And feet pass by the basement window
He keeps waiting for a change
Still it hasn’t happened yet

And at night he dreams
Of back when life was perfect
Just a kid playing ball
Get up every time he’d fall
‘Cause now it seems
Getting up just ain’t worth it
Feels like he’s been left behind
And the world keeps passin’ by

He’s got these photographs
Of days he still remembers
He just looks at them and laughs
How soon he’s gotten old
On the corner now with the old men
Who wait to work construction
As the world keeps driving by
They wait out in the cold

And still night he dreams
Of back when life was perfect
Just a kid playing ball
Get up every time he’d fall
‘Cause now it seems
Getting up just ain’t worth it
Feels like he’s been left behind
And the world keeps passin’ by

He still remembers that first kiss
Still remembers that taste
All those summers of pure bliss
Out at his Grandfathers’ lake
Sleepin’ outside
Looking up at those stars
And wonderin’ what his life might be
Yeah, anything but this sad pathetic black sheep
Of the family

Now he’s on a bus
Bound west for Vancouver
He’s not like the rest of us
His dreams just can’t be ours
He’d leave a note but he’s sure
No one is gonna miss him
Now he can sleep outside all year
Still starin’ at those stars

So let them dream
Of back when he was perfect
Just a kid playing ball
Get up every time he’d fall
‘Cause now it seems
Getting up just ain’t worth it
Feels like he’s been left behind
And the world keeps passin’ by
The world keeps passin’ by