The Ballad of Phil and Phyllis

You can have the fame, Phyllis

I'd give up all the fame

You can have the overbearing stares,

The noisy crowds, the holy shadow,

And the shame, Phyllis

But don't pretend you want this

Don't be so naive

I'll say these words again and again

But by then you're bound to leave

They always leave

Then I guess that I'm just like the rest

Why must you leave?

Well, we can't all live forever

I sure was never as blessed

Nothing's supposed to live forever, Phyllis

Nothing's supposed to last that long

The burrows we made

Will eventually fade

And I'll be left to sing the same old song

But if nothing's supposed to live forever, Phyllis

Why am I the one who's cursed to see

The sprout begin to spawn

Till the things I know are gone

Till everyone moves on but—

Hold me, Phyllis

Hold me like an apricot

Hold me like the world is not

About to wave goodbye

(You watched my fur turn grey)

I don't like goodbye

(How many times have you had to say goodbye?)

Please don't say goodbye

Nothing's supposed to live forever

Nothing's supposed to last that long

That's what they say, Phil

It all goes away, Phil

But something deep inside me knows they're wrong

If nothing's supposed to live forever

I'll give you a part of me I guarantee you'll find

In the winters and the springs

In the song your shadow sings

Forever is the things I leave behind

Behind?

You'll see me in their smile

And their claws will make you take pause

And maybe the burrows we made (The burrows we made)

Will come back to your mind (Will eventually fade)

Back when we weren't afraid the sun

(And I can't persuade the sun to let us rewind)

Would set and let us (Let us start over)

Leave our last duet behind (Before you leave me behind)

Are the ones who go ever truly gone?

When you're holding on to who you leave behind

Who you leave—

(Hold me, Phyllis)

Behind

(Why can't you stay forever?)

I can see forever

Just by looking in your eyes (Dry your eyes)

That's the thing with love—

It multiplies and multiplies and…

Nothing's supposed to live forever

(Nothing's supposed to live forever, Phyllis)

But the tighter you hold me

(The deeper you look in my eyes)

The more that can't be true

And the sprout begins to spawn

(In the winters and the springs)

And the things I know are gone

(In the song your shadow sings)

Till everyone moves on but us two

Cause

Nothing's supposed to live forever

Nothing's supposed to live forever

Nothing's supposed to live forever

(How can I live forever)

Without you