The story behind this song
He used to do the math at midnight — her morning, his night, eleven hours and an ocean between them. They numbered every letter so they'd know if one went missing, and she sealed hers with the perfume from her wrist that he'd breathe like oxygen half a world away. Anniversaries came while he was gone; she set two plates anyway, and told him later.
Then the runway: her shoes in one hand, running flat-out down the chain-link fence. For the husband who measured every deployment in her, and knows the bravest one stayed home — he'd cross the whole world over, every mile back.
Lyrics
Your morning, my night
Eleven hours and an ocean between us
You numbered yours right back — we never lost a one
You'd seal them with the perfume from your wrist
And half a world away, I'd breathe it like oxygen
Anniversaries came while I was gone
You'd set two plates anyway. You told me later on.
I measured mine in you
That's the only map I ever knew
Duffel on the tarmac, your dress in the crowd
Eleven months collapsing in the space of one shout
The distance threw its punches — we never let it through
I'd cross the whole world over, every mile back to you
Sent photos so I wouldn't miss the kids growing tall
You never let me hear you crying on the phone line
I knew anyway. You knew I knew. We carried it all.
And the runway — God, the runway —
Your shoes in one hand, running flat-out down the chain-link fence line
The bravest one I know stayed home
That's the only map I ever knew
Duffel on the tarmac, your dress in the crowd
Eleven months collapsing in the space of one shout
The distance threw its punches — we never let it through
I'd cross the whole world over, every mile back to you
And the calendar is just a calendar again
But every year when our day comes around
I still feel it in my chest — that engine-roar descent,
The wheels touching down, and you, and you
Every ocean, every orders-came-through
The duffel's down for good now, but hear me when I say
If they posted me to the moon tonight, I'd be walking home by May
The distance never won — it never had a clue
It was always, only, ever — every mile back to you
It never was
It's wherever you're standing when I land
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