| A flash brighter than lightning overhead
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| But my town is asleep
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| So they don’t see my father coming home
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| I imagine him walking in the middle of this night
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| All the way back to us
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| He likes to look up at the sky as he steps out onto familiar ground
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| Now he’s rounding our corner
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| Now he’s walking through the door
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| He’s walking through the door
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| And my mother with her deadened eyes
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| She comes alive
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| Don’t go
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| I plead even though I know
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| I know his strong love for us both won’t keep him from the sky
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| I know it tears him up inside to say it’s only one more time
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| He knows it’s just a lie he wants to believe
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| I need the stars flying by me
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| The earth afloat
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| Above or below
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| It doesn’t matter where
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| Just as long as it isn’t right here
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| I’ll be back before you know it
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| And then I promise you I’ll be home for good
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| Let me go with you
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| I have begged ever since I was a child
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| I know just what he’s going to say
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| I don’t want you to end up like me
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| Aching between the mystery of new planets to be explored
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| And the comfort of this ancient discovery beneath our feet
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| You’ll struggle to give up that which you love
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| And it’s not easy
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| Son
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| Just please promise me you won’t become like me
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| I just nod and let go even though I know
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| I know his strong love for us both won’t keep him from the sky
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| I know it tears him up inside to say it’s only one more time
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| A flash as bright as a rocket ship exploding
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| But my town is asleep
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| So they don’t see my father die
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| I imagine him falling into the sun
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| And I look up at the sky
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| If only you would have stayed this time
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| Now he’s rounding the corner
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| Now he’s walking through the door
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| Please just walk through that door
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| When I asked him how many ways one could die in space
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| He said a million
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| They call them traveling graves
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| If they can’t find you
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| Then they can’t bury you
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| Imagine how it feels to envy the stars and resent the sun
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| Morning won’t ever be the same
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| You never kept your promise
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| So I’m not keeping mine
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| Wake me at sunset so I can say goodbye |