fifteen years from tonight you have to make a decision
the greatest love of your life
is gonna call during dinner...
from the home of the girl that he's living with now
and the guilt he'll say is killing him
he's wilted in the middle and
he knows how bad he acted
knows he can't have you back
but the fact is he can't be happy when you're angry
and you're so angry, he says you stayed so mad
and he heard it on the street that
you moved back in with your dad
you were drinking something awful
and that that makes him sad
then he says it's good to hear your voice again
and that it's hard to ask it,
but he's calling with a question
he's been working real hard, he's trying to make a new start
an honest to god fresh beginning
so maybe you could try to finally find it in your heart
to forgive him

you've already been here before
you already know where it goes
you chose this, you know it's suppose to be over
you've been here before
you already know where it goes
you chose this, you know it's suppose to be over

he hung up the phone, you listened to the dial tone
and you stared at the stove until the beeping started
you read some love letters some threats
and some you couldn't tell apart
that you keep under the bed at the apartment
and then you did what he asked you to do
you opened your heart up
right there on a napkin on the carpet
and part of it was frostbit
but you've always been a smart kid
could still distinguish, the blood black as pitch
valves had gone stiff, veins and scar tissue
four chambers just a standard issue
but none had room, forgiveness is huge
and you had two full of ice water
one fulla salt, one packed with coal
eager and ready and willing to find fault

you've already been here before
you already know where it goes
you chose this, you know it's suppose to be over
you've been here before
you already know where it goes
you chose this, you know it's suppose to be over

then with your heart in your lap
and your head in your hands, suddenly you had a plan
wrap the mess in newspaper
headed west on Hennepin,
heavy with a huge favor for a kid that just turned ten
a flat-chested, gap-toothed girl
was the best that I've been so far
and now I'm too big to forgive him
I need just a moment with me,
a moment when I was still little
I used to sing on the roof outside my windowsill
and I came hoping some ghost of me would be here still
and here you are, stick figure and a busted grin
still ignorant of all the trouble I'ma get us in
hoping we could trade, just for tonight
like I could borrow your heart
and I could leave you mine
it's not much for collateral, tattered and battle-scared
but I can promise you solemn
that I will be back for it tomorrow
I only need yours this evening
so I can call an old friend
and I can tell him
that we're finally even,
that we're finally even

you chose this, you know it's suppose to be over
I've been here before
and I already know where it goes
you chose this, you know it's suppose to be over