I’ve been to the top of the mountain
I was duped by the youth ministers
And I attended to all of those meetings
But I was mostly there for the girls, and that turned out to be a pretty good reason.

I’ve been arrested for a misunderstanding
I’ve been busted for telling the truth
I’ve done worse that I never got caught for
I almost got away with wasting my youth trying to keep all my options open.

It’s not that far, it’s not that far
From the case to the crush.
Not that far, not that far,
From the look to the lust.

I’ve climbed the towers of the ancient cathedrals
I have walked along the Great Wall
And seen the ruins of the old Roman forum
I’ve marked how the mighty fall and how they leave mostly rocks behind.

I’ve spent hours in the libraries
I’ve pored over the old documents
And translated the faded handwriting
But I haven’t been back there since I started feeling like the end of the line.

It’s not that far, it’s not that far
From the forge to the rust
Not that far, not that far
From the core to the cusp
It’s only one small surgery
Between the boom and the bust
Barely one slight century
From the dust to the dust
From the dust to the dust.

Just one singular sliver,
Just one tiny taste
Of this one sweet second.
Where there’s no second place.