Lyrics

Hush, listen.
The streetlights breathe, the pictures stay.

I walked the boardwalk made of paper grain,
Past painted smiles that never quite explain.
The river looped like ribbon in the dusk,
And every friendly welcome had a hush.
A window waved, then blinked the other way,
A dog barked once, then forgot what it would say.
And somewhere down that crooked little lane,
A camera ticked like soft mechanical rain.

He said, “Don’t fight the magic, don’t insist,
Just let the moment land, and let it live.”
My shoulders dropped, my breathing learned to slow,
Like I remembered something I should know.

Click, click, one last, one last,
Let the night be kind.
Click, click, hold on, hold on,
Leave the fear behind.
If this town is strange, if your heart can’t tell,
I’ll frame the good part, I’ll frame it well.
Click, click, one last, one last,
Goodnight, unusual town.

The mayor’s grin was painted on too tight,
The courthouse bird sang yesterday at night.
The barber swept my worries off the floor,
And sold them back as dreams behind a door.
The lanterns leaned like moons above the square,
They didn’t blink, just watched me standing there.
But in that watching I could finally see,
A place can feel like home, and still be mystery.

He said, “You don’t have to solve it to belong,
Some endings simply turn into a song.”
The clocks went quiet, like they understood,
And even silence sounded pretty good.

Click, click, one last, one last,
Let the night be kind.
Click, click, hold on, hold on,
Leave the fear behind.
If this town is strange, if your heart can’t tell,
I’ll frame the good part, I’ll frame it well.
Click, click, one last, one last,
Goodnight, unusual town.

I asked him, “Do you ever miss the road,
The straight line miles, the ordinary load?”
He smiled behind those round old fashioned frames,
And lifted up the lens like calling names.
“Most folks chase time until their hands are tired,
But wonder is the spark that doesn’t expire.
So take this picture, keep it when you’re low,
A little light can teach you where to go.”
Flash.

Click, click, one last, one last,
Let the night be kind.
Click, click, hold on, hold on,
Leave the fear behind.
If your voice feels old, if the world feels fast,
I’ll frame a soft tomorrow from the past.
Click, click, one last, one last,
Goodnight, unusual town.

Click, click, one last.

Lanterns dim, the street signs sigh,
And the shutter keeps the stars still,
Till next time.