C 
You can fake it for a while,

Bite your tongue and smile,
        G
Like every mother does an ugly child.
      C
But the stars are leaking out,

Like spittle from a cloud,
        G
Amassed resentment counting ounce and pound.

[Pre-Hook 1]
      F
You're entertaining any doubt,
      C    G
Because you had to know that I was fond of you,
C    F
Fond of Y-O-U,
      C    G
Though I knew you masked your disdain.
F    C      G
I can see that change was just too hard for us,
C    F
Hard for us.

You always had to hold the reigns,
      F F F F F F F F    G
But where I'm headed, you just don't know the way.

[Verse 2]
C
So affections fade away,

And do adults just learn to play
        G
The most ridiculous, repulsive games?
      C
On the faith of ruddy sons,

And the double-barreled guns,

You better hurry,
  G
Rabbit, run, run, run.
      C
'Cause meeting you was fun,
            G
And there's a lot of hungry howlers in this one cell.

We’re taking it over,
      C
Their brittle, thorny stems,

They break before they bend,
        G
And neither one of us is one of them.

[Pre-Hook 2]
      F
And the tails will never mend,
    C    G
‘Cause you had it in for me so long ago.
C    F
Boy, I still don't know,
    C    G
I don't know why and I don't care,
    C    F
You don't hide me anymore,
    C    G
If you'd only seen yourself hating me.
C    F
Hating me,
    C    G
When I've been so much more than fair.
      F F F F F F F F  G
But then you had to lay those feelings bare,

[Hook 1]
      F F F F F F F F  G  
One thing I know still got you scared,
       F               G
You're all that cold iron,
           F   C                    G
And never once aired of our dead.

[INSTRUMENTAL]
(C G C G
F                      C            G
You had to know that I was fond of you,
C      F
Fond of Y-O-U.
                C              G
So I took your lips at the time,
C              F
AHHHHHHHHHH
                        C             G
And to change like that is just so hard to do,
C      F
Hard to do.
                C             G
Don't let it whip-crack your life,
                 F F F F F F F F G
And bow out from the fight,
                F F F F F F    G
‘Cause oh, how your sisters will write.
                F F F F F
The worst part is over,
        C C C         F F F               G
Now, get back on that horse and ride.