Michael Kahn

Last Train Home

You weren’t quite the girl across the street

More like the girl from down the block

You were the one I was afraid to meet

I was the one you called a jock

 

You were smart there was no doubt

I didn’t think you’d want a fool like me

But in the end I found you out

Seemed like we were just meant to be

 

We were looking for the north star

We got married much too young

I knew for sure you would go far

You knew for sure I was the one

 

I was struggling with torts and precedents

You were working 70 hours a week

We had no time for sports or presents

We barely had time to speak

 

People called you doctor I called you friend

I saw you every other night

Somewhere on that high road you turned left

Somewhere on that same road I turned right

 

All that advice we never took

All those words we never said

You left our house without a look

You never even turned your head

 

I studied even harder than I did before

Burned my candles at both ends

Went bowling two nights a week

Hung around with my old friends

 

Got used to all the silence

Got used to an empty half a bed

Got used to watching empty violence

On a TV that you said you’d like to shred

 

Called your house but you were never there

Called your work but you were not around

Called your friend from school think her name was Claire

She said I always brought you down

So it was quite by chance that I picked up the phone

Which had already rung about seven times

Heard your voice told you that I was alone

That’s when I noticed you were crying

 

You said Johnny got to say that I’ve been thinking

I’ll tell you flat out that I’m in pain

My mom’s out back my dad’s been drinking

I’m seeing about catching a train

 

Well my choices were few but they were many

I could fight it out hold fast or float the tide

I could choose one or not choose any

I could forget about my damaged pride

 

What I did was find a shirt without a stain

One wrong and another don’t make right

Bought some flowers headed downtown in the rain

Met you on the last train home tonight

 

Yeah met you on the last train home tonight