A Thousand Matches

Lying on a mattress

'Cause my friend's crazy sister took my bed a way

Sleeping, she looked like an actress

In theory and in practice

I said, there's got to be a better way

She said, you light a thousand matches

When you finally set fire, well, you run away

So why'd you go and do it

When you knew that you would go and I would stay

I hit the wall in frustration

The conversation had been circling for days

She said, don't take it out on him

For the wall has always been supportive in the best of ways

We're laughing and crying

Like madmen dying in the snow

For just one second it was funny that

She would have to stay and I would go

And I said, love, you know, I love you so

When you love someone, well, you've gotta let 'em know

She said, nothing's changed, I love you the same

When you love someone sometimes you gotta let 'em go

She handed me a stone

In the perfect shape of her heart

She said, I'm gonna take this home

For I know you'll only lose it somewhere after dark

In some faceless hotel room

Where you seem to lose everything you own

She didn't mean it how it sounded

What she meant was she would stay and I would go

And I said, love, you know, I love you so

When you love someone, well, you've gotta let 'em know

And she said, nothing's changed, I love you the same

When you love someone sometimes you gotta let 'em go

Sometimes you tear it all apart

To see the wood from the trees

Sometimes you break your own heart

To set yourself free

I walked her to the station

Hesitation in our movements and our tone

Words finally left

After realizing how uncomfortable they'd grown

See, what you want and what you need

Well, they seldomly succeed to grow

We reluctantly agreed

That when you love someone

You gotta let them go