A Martyr for My Love for You

She was sixteen and six feet tall

In a crowd of teenagers coming out of the zoo

She stumbled, started to slip and fall

Teeter-tottered on the top of patent leather shoes

I happened to catch her and said

"Maybe these ruby shoes are a little cumbersome for you"

Maybe for you, now

But not as shaky as I must have seemed

Talking junk through her giggle, little teenage dream

And on the phone, I could not compete

My dumb-luck fake competence was getting weak

For a sec' I thought I sounded sweet

But sure enough in a gruff, faint voice

I heard myself speak

I could stay a while

But sooner or later, I'll break your smile

And I can tell a joke

But one of these days I'm bound to choke

And we could share a kiss

But I feel like I can't go through with this

And I bet we could build a home

But I know the right thing for me to do

Is to leave you alone

Leave you alone, now

I'm beginning to like you

So you probably won't get what I'm going to do

I'm walking away from you

It probably don't make much sense to you

But I'm trying to save you

From all of the things that I'll probably say or do

I'll probably do

I could stay a while

But sooner or later, I'll break your smile

And I can tell a joke

But one of these days I'm bound to choke

And we might share a kiss

But I feel like I can't go through with this

And I bet we could build a home

But I know the right thing for me to do

Is to leave you alone

Leave you alone, now

You'll probably call me a fool

And say I'm doing exactly what a coward would do

And I'm beginning to like you

It's a shame what a lame way to live

But what can I do?

I hope you appreciate what I do

I'm a martyr for my love for you

A martyr for my love for you, now

A martyr for my love for you

A martyr for my love for you, oh