Avett Brothers - Closer Than Together Album Lyrics

I'm bleeding white from my clothes but I'm laying in the snow
So nobody knows I'm dying

If I stand on my feet will the plan be complete or is the plan mean I'm trying
I left you behind, but you can find me if I don't wander too far away

Perhaps in another life I would be more like you
Or you more like me, let's just disagree

Don't say you know my type, I'm one of a kind
Let's thank god for merciful variety

I left you behind, but you can find me if I don't wander too far away

It's too far along to feign ignorance
Too far along to play it down

And you're far too smart to fall for the part that I've been playing

I'm bleeding gold in the streets but there's no one to see because the kingdom is empty
They all left in the night spirits broken in spite of all the promise of morning
They all left me behind, but I can find you if you don't wander too far away

If you don't wander too far away
If you don't wander too far away
If you don't wander too far away
If you don't wander too far away

Tell the truth to yourself and the rest will fall in place
Tell the truth to yourself and the rest will fall in place

I lied to the doctor
I lied to my lover

I wanna make amends, but where do I start

Tell the truth to yourself and the rest will fall in place
Tell the truth to yourself and the rest will fall in place

Tell the truth to yourself
Tell the truth

(I can make my mother, my father, my sister, my brother, my lover, my neighbor, my friends all happy
Give of myself whatever they ask
But without this single truth it is only emptiness that I cast
A happiness that will not last
But I'm not here for that for what does happiness help without this single truth given to thyself)

I was the coward
I strangled your heart

I wanna make amends, but where do I start?

Tell the truth to yourself and the rest will fall in place
Tell the truth to yourself and the rest will fall in place
Tell the truth to yourself and the rest will fall in place
Tell the truth to yourself and the rest will fall in place

I grew up with reverence for the red white and blue
Spoke of God and liberty reciting the Pledge of allegiance
Learned love of country from my own family
Some shivered and prayed approaching the beaches of Normandy
The flag waves high and that's how it should be
So many lives given and taken in the name of freedom
But the story's complicated and hard to read
Pages of the book obscured or torn out completely

I am a son of Uncle Sam
And I struggle to understand
The good and evil
But I'm doing the best I can
In a place built on stolen land
With stolen people

Blood in the soil with the cotton and tobacco
Blood in the soil with the cotton and tobacco
Blood in the soil with the cotton and tobacco

A misnamed people and a kidnapped race
Laws may change but we can't erase the scares of a nation
Of children devalued and disavowed
Displaced by greed and the arrogance of manifest destiny
Short-sighted to say it was a long time ago
Not even two life times have passed since the days of Lincoln
The sins of Andrew Jackson, the shame of Jim Crow
And time moves slow when the tragedies are beyond description

I am a son of Uncle Sam
And I struggle to understand
The good and evil
But I'm doing the best I can
In a place built on stolen land
With stolen people

We are more than the sum of our parts
All these broken homes and broken hearts
God, will you keep us wherever we go?
Will you forgive us for where we've been?
We Americans

Blood on the table with the coffee and the sugar
Blood on the table with the coffee and the sugar
Blood on the table with the coffee and the sugar, mm

I've been to every state and seen shore to shore
The still open wounds of the Civil War
Watched blind hatred bounce back and forth
Seen vile prejudice both in the south and the north
And accountability is hard to impose
On ghosts of ancestors haunting the halls of our conscience
But the path of grace and good will is still here
For those of us who may be considered among the living

I am a son of God and man
And I may never understand
The good and evil
But I dearly love this land
Because of and in spite
Of we the people

We are more than the sum of our parts
All these broken bones and broken hearts
God, will you keep us wherever we go?
Can you forgive us for where we've been?
We Americans
Mm
We Americans

Love in our hearts with the pain and the memory
Love in our hearts with the pain and the memory
Love in our hearts with the pain and the memory
Love
Love in our hearts with the pain and the memory
Love in our hearts with the pain and the memory
Love in our hearts with the pain and the memory

Love in our hearts with the pain and the memory
Love in our hearts with the pain and the memory
Love in our hearts with the pain and the memory
Love
Love in our hearts with the pain and the memory
Love in our hearts with the pain and the memory
Love in our hearts with the pain and the memory, mm

Here I am standing ten feet between us
Beside me the door that I just came through

Where I walked past an overweight cop in an alley
With a beer gut bursting from a bullet proof jacket

Who thinks to himself
"I've got to get back to the man that I was when I was a dreamer
With a partner in crime named Brandy McGill
A girl with a love of life bigger than normal
Who still wonders when her life will begin
Her best friend Maria who seems to have everything tells her
She probably just needs a vacation away from the stress of her husband's vocation

While Maria is talking, Brandy is drifting, staring at John who just got the job
Busing tables to pay for Community College
An Associates degree in x-ray technology

John is too old to still be in college
He doesn't like class and sometimes does not go
Long story short his family was broken

He was freed from a past life as a kid on Skid row

He notices Brandy but stares at Maria
Her beauty well practiced in casting a spell

Imagining her naked he spills dirty dishes
On the lap of an elderly woman named Belle

A lady who won't live to see her next birthday
But shares a warm smile regardless of that

The mess that unfolds completely surrounds her
Not one bit of urgency enters her soul

She reaches for Roy, her husband forever
In love and connection, her small hand he holds

And nothing comes of it but a manager's anger
Not for the mess, but her father's remark
About a bad grade she had as a child

So she takes her revenge out by firing John
Who now wonders when his life will begin

Ain't it confusing to search for the will and learn
When you find it that you've lost your way

Long story short he saw a commercial that said that
The 20's are the prime of your life

But that doesn't seem to be true at this moment
As he cleans out his locker and calls his best friend
Who's too busy to talk cause he's prepping with lawyers
To keep money from his ex-wife

The mother of their only son who's naturally drawn to guns and sharp objects
Who now has no father except for on weekends two times a month

No need to worry, I'm told we're protected by the men passing laws in the house
And the senate from people who mix up the truth and reality
With movies and games and ridiculous scenarios

Long story short, best I can tell, children can't be left to raise themselves

You're long and strong like a railway trestle
Dad just a muscle and mama just a vessel
Meant to call, fawn over, nuzzle and nestle
But Dad's just a bear you can tackle down and wrestle
Son, give me time, I'm a bona fide mess'll
If Mama says no, maybe Dad'll say yes'll
Did you do wrong? well, go ahead confess'll
Dad just a muscle and mama just a vessel

You all blue and your mama like a rattle
Came out looking like a Smurf in a battle
Me in the nosebleeds, Mama in the saddle
Brave like a Sioux Brave going into battle
Emotion going like a stampede of cattle
Real like rain and coffee in Seattle
Anesthesiologist fiddle and faddle
You all blue and your mama like a rattle

Oh, life so clear like a Rivera mural
Lucifer's teeth introduce the epidural
Dr. Jones, do you need a heaven referral?
God sent ya down to me and my girl
She's long and tall and healthy as hell
But the plan went to hell when the little fella fell
Boy went headfirst into her pelvis
1956 shaking like Elvis

Oh, yesterday born and already thinking
Body like a Ford and a mind like Lincoln
Mama and Papa in love and sinking
Into a brand new situation, drinking
Up coffee like a fish on second and third shift
Lovin' every single ever-loving minute of this
Standing ovation for the O/R specialist
Let me get close wanna give my son one kiss on his head

Planning for the future, health and dental
Picking up my baby boy, easy and gentle
Soup for the family, sausage and lentil
Beans and greens, arugula and fentel
Don't never sleep I'm about to go mental
But nothing so far has been accidental
Can't keep my life, so it's got to be a rental
Picking up my baby boy, easy and gentle

Oh, you're long and strong like a railway trestle
Dad just a muscle and mama just a vessel
Meant to call, fawn over cuddle and nestle
But Dad's just a bear you can tackle down and wrestle
You can have a pop-tent or you can have a castle
Try to change people but it's gonna be a hassle
Don't have to be an astronaut for NASA
But it's always good to get a gown and a tassel

Son, have fun with your life, it's a drama
Just one period and all kinds of commas
Now you got a onesie but then you get pajamas
You know you got me and you know ya got your mama

I'm a high steppin', high bettin'
Love givin', I'm a love gettin'
I'm a stranger, I love stretchin' out my wheels
Overnightin' on the desert strip
Makin' time and losin' grip
Drivin' circles in the canyons of my mind

I'm an outsider lookin' in
I got a perfect square for a circle of friends
It's the four of us against the rest of you
But really I am all alone
I'd sell 'em out to save my own
I told them that but they don't buy the truth

I'm a high steppin', high bettin'
Love givin', I'm a love gettin'
I'm a stranger, I love stretchin' out my wheels
Overnightin' on the desert strip
Makin' time and losin' grip
Drivin' circles in the canyons of my mind

Well it's warfare out there, folks
You're either working for success
Or to be rich or, God help us, famous
Or you're working against the clock just to stay afloat
Got your nose all scraped up from the grindstone
You're digging for diamonds and only finding rhinestones
Meanwhile it's August and the tax man has never heard of summer vacation
You're either working on yourself or you're lookin' after babies
Takin' care of your old man or your old lady
And the direct line to the hospital just says "Leave a message"
See, you can only live one day at a time
Only drive one hot rod at a time
Only say one word at a time
And only think one thought at a time
And every soul is alone when the day becomes night
And there in the dark if you can try to see the light
In the most pitch black shape of the loneliest shadow
Well then you ought to sleep well
'Cause there's hope for sure
Well I don't know about all that being true but
I do know this

The best beggars are choosers
The best winners are losers
The best lovers ain't never been loved
And first place ain't easy
The hardest part is believing
The very last word is love

I'm a high steppin', high bettin'
Love givin', I'm a love gettin'
I'm a stranger, I love stretchin' out my wheels
Overnightin' on the desert strip
Makin' time and losin' grip
Drivin' circles in the canyons of my mind

There is no mountain you can climb
High enough to see past the fact you climbed it all alone

There is no city filled with lights
So bright that you forget you have never had a home

I gave the world my best
Brought back to you the rest
And in return you loved me more

How do I return all that I took from you
And all the life you gave to me

When you learn you can earn the love you're waiting for
It's already yours

There is no reason we should doubt
The broken hearts will rise again

The mending touch of something grand
Isn't that what it's about?

The blind are charging through the night
Guided by the steady hand

I gave the world my best
Brought back to you the rest
And in return you loved me more

How do I return all that I took from you and all the life you gave to me

When you learn you can earn the love you're waiting for
It's already yours

When you learn you can earn the love you're waiting for
When you learn you can earn the love you're waiting for

Another bang bang shoot 'em up movie
Pride and vengeance all around
Another bang bang shoot em' up movie
Meant to blow my mind
Make my heart pound
Bridges and tempers on fire
Please turn it off, I'm tired
Of bang bang bang shoot 'em up movies

Have you ever had a gun pointed directly at you
And there isn't any doubt it's loaded and ready to go
Well I have twice and I don't recall any heroes on the scene
Just adrenaline and fear and a few souls who have unfortunately seen

A lot of bang bang shoot 'em up movies
People putting people in the ground
Bang bang shoot 'em up movies
Meant to turn my head
Make my heart pound
Fiction and commerce conspire
Please turn it off I'm tired
Of bang bang bang shoot 'em up movies

I live in the country because I love peace and quiet
But all of my neighbors have closets full of machine guns
And every Sunday they're out there, pretending to be Rambo
And I'm in here pretending like Sunday is still sacred

Conceal and carry your fear
Don't need no weapons here
I've had all I can stand
Of the bloodthirsty leading man

If you think there isn't any connection between
All the violence you see in real life and what's on the screen
Well it seems painfully clear to me
That you're living in a fantasy

Another bang bang shoot 'em up movie
Living room like a battle ground
A bang bang shoot 'em up movie
Meant to push the envelope
Make me say 'wow'
If I never hear gunfire again I'll be fine
So please turn it off I'm tired
Of bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang
Bang bang bang

I'm bleeding white through my clothes
But I'm lying in the snow
So nobody knows I'm dying
If I stand on my feet, will the plan be complete?
Or is the plan me not trying?

I left you behind
But you can find me if I don't wander too far away

Perhaps in another life I would be more like you
Or you more like me, let's just disagree
Don't say you know my type, I'm one of a kind
Let's thank God for merciful variety

I left you behind
But you can find me if I don't wander too far away

It's too far along to feign ignorance
Too far along to play it down
And you're far too smart to fall for
The part that I've been playing

I'm bleeding gold in the streets
But there's no one to see
Because the kingdom is empty
They all left in the night, spirits broken in spite
Of all the promise of morning

Ya'll left me behind
But I can find you
If you don't wander too far away
Yeah, you don't wander too far away
Yeah, you don't wander too far away
Yeah, you don't wander too far away
Yeah, you don't wander too far away

It used to be a man's world, but we didn't treat it right
It used to be a man's world, but all we did was fight
I'm glad it's finally in the hands of the women and the girls
I can't wait to see what they do with what's left of the world

Ladies, I'm sorry, but we couldn't seem to learn
How to live in peace, so Rome had to burn
And we cared about clean air, but there was money to be made
And breathing's nice, but it don't compare with getting paid

It used to be a man's world, but we didn't treat it right
It used to be a man's world, but all we did was fight
I'm glad it's finally in the hands of the women and the girls
I can't wait to see what they do with what's left of the world

Please, I beg your pardon, but we got a bit confused
Some of our brothers thought our sisters were born for getting used
Then we made the assumption that's how it should be done
Then tried to excuse ourselves in the name of fun
Don't get me wrong, hope ain't fully gone
Scores of decent men built the road I'm standing on
But a lot of it has crumbled through prideful mistakes
And ashes cover much of what the flooding didn't take

I know that we are giving you a lot to straighten out
The silver lining broke away from the thunder cloud
And it took us a few thousand years to make a mess so fine
I bet y'all sort it out in less than half the time

It used to be a man's world, excess in the extreme
Oh, it used to be a man's world, but we ran out of steam
We couldn't seem to reach the grace that's born in every girl
Still, I hope that I can lend a hand in this new woman's world
Let me know if I can help out in this new woman's world

You slipped through my hands
Like I did through my Dad's
Like a river that passes
The rocks that it's on
I'm bracing for loneliness
I know it's comin'
Who will I hold when you're gone?
Now who will I hold when you're gone?

Now happiness comes
And it seems much like money
People gather around it
When it's gone, they go runnin'
I'm trying to be here
Lift up to the now
But the past has to come
Pulls me back down

You slipped through my hands
Like I did through my lover's
Like a river that passes
The bed that it's on
I'm bracing for loneliness
I know it's comin'
Who will I hold when you're gone?
Now who will I hold when you're gone?

Now, the victims of love
The most hopeless of all
Fortunate prisoners
In an infinite war
They turn on themselves
It's pure sabotage
Silver spoon babies with Tupperware hearts
Silver spoon babies with Tupperware hearts

You slipped through my hands
Like I did through my mama's
Like a river that passes
The rocks that it's on
I'm bracing for loneliness
I know it's comin'
Who will I hold when you're gone?
Now who will I hold when you're gone?
Who will I hold when you're gone?
Now who will I hold when you're gone?

I can't take the criticism
I'm heating up with cynicism
All the colors in the prism entering my eyes
Still can't change my mind

I'm a stubborn goat getting older
A cube of ice getting colder
A frozen heart and frozen shoulders, that is what I've got
A sweetheart I am not

Now I'll soften when it pays the bills
I'll love you in exchange for thrills
Our service calls, withdrawal will kill
I can smell fresh blood from miles away

I can't be locked up this way, I can't be locked up this way
I can't be locked up like this, oh, no, I can't be locked up this way

Now I have been their slave but I'm tired of workin'
A jackhammer tired of jerking
I'm a booty-shaker tired of twerking, you can laugh all you want
Soon enough, though, I'll be gone

I'm a dying fly on the wall
I'm a teenage girl who just won't call
I'm a deflated basketball, no needle to be found
And I just want to be around

So I can roam, so I can bounce
So I can roam out of this town

I can't be locked up like this, I can't be locked up like this
I can't be locked up this way, oh, no, I can't be locked up like this

Now I'm the worst ship that was ever built
Started sinking soon as the champagne spilled
All the dirty secrets in my quilt, they won't come out in the wash
Somebody help, my gosh

I'm a beating heart off the beaten path
The god of shame, fear my wrath
Can my filthy soul take a bath in the light of you?
In the light of truth? In the light of you

No, I can't be locked up like this, I can't be locked up like this
I can't be locked up this way, oh, no, I can't be locked up like this

I can't be locked up like this, I can't be locked up like this
I can't be locked up like this (Oh, no), I can't be locked up like this

It's raining today, let's stay in our room
Be patient, babe, the clouds will break soon
But I must confess, I'm glad if they stay
I don't want to leave, it's raining today

Here and then gone, invisible dawn
All of the edges are frayed
No warmth on my shoulders
No breeze to carry these old worries away
My hat's on the porch, it's heavy and soaked
I'm on the steps and I don't have a coat
What do I do?
What can I say?

It's raining today, the house framing crew
All can sleep in, the brick masons, too
The boss wants it done, but he'll have to wait
I can't go to work, it's raining today

It's raining today, what does it mean?
Probably not much of anything
Still, I can't resist, to let my thoughts stray
What harm will it do? It's raining today

Here and then gone, invisible dawn
All of the edges are frayed
No warmth on my shoulders
No breeze to carry these old worries away
My hat's on the porch, it's heavy and soaked
I'm on the steps and I don't have a coat
What do I do?
What can I say?

It's raining, it's raining
It's raining, it's raining
It's raining, it's raining
It's raining, it's raining