only the song survives

i woke her up twice in the middle of the night

to ask what her name is and where she might live

to ask how many fingers she saw in this light

to ask if she might know what gives

she said we rolled that camaro like a cowboy cigarette

out on the highway in a puddle of beer

that's just about how close to death you're gonna get

till the only thing standing is fear

singing

oh darling

faces were changed

the names of the innocent

the story at five

oh darling

faces get strange

but only the song survives

she said

now don't you remember they put a patch on your eye

like dread pirate roberts

you looked so unplanned

they cut off my wedding ring and you started to cry

a one-eyed niagara falls man

i said

but i never married - i said with surprise

and is this the diamond you said that you lost

it was under my eyelids when they flushed out my eyes

hell and i don't know what the thing cost

but i woke up sweating to breakfast in bed

and there were my children

and there was my wife

post-traumatic stress

of just a bump on the head

or maybe the ride of my life