​cardigan / august / willow (Grammys 2021)

[Verse 1: Cardigan]
Vintage tee, brand new phone
High heels on cobblestones
When you are young, they assume you know nothing
Sequin smile, black lipstick
Sensual politics
When you are young, they assume you know nothing

[Chorus 1: Cardigan]
'Cause I knew you
Steppin' on the last train
Marked me like a bloodstain, I
I knew you
Tried to change the ending
Peter losing Wendy, I
I knew you
Leavin' like a father
Running like water, I
'Cause when you are young, they assume you know nothing

[Verse 2: Cardigan]
But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss
I knew you'd haunt all of my what-if's
The smell of smoke would hang around this long
'Cause I knew everything when I was young
I knew I'd curse you for the longest time
Chasin' shadows in the grocery line
I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired
And you'd be standin' in my front porch light
And I knew you'd come back to me
You'd come back to me
And you'd come back to me
And you'd come back

[Refrain 1: Cardigan]
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan
Under someone's bed
You put me on and said I was your favorite
And you'd come back to me

[Verse 3: August]
Salt air, and the rust on your door
I never needed anything more
Whispers of "Are you sure?"
"Never have I ever before"

[Chorus 2: August]
But I can see us lost in the memory
August slipped away into a moment in time
'Cause it was never mine
And I can see us twisted in bedsheets
August sipped away like a bottle of wine
'Cause you were never mine

[Bridge: August & Willow]
Back when we were still changing for the better
Wanting was enough
For me, it was enough
To live for the hope of it all
Cancel plans just in case you'd call
And say, "Meet me behind the mall"
So much for summer love and saying "us"
'Cause you weren't mine to lose
You weren't mine to lose
Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind
They count me out time and time again
Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind
But I come back stronger than a '90s trend

[Verse 4: Willow]
Wait for the signal, and I'll meet you after dark
Show me the places where the others gave you scars
And now this is an open-shut case
I guess I should've known from the look on your face
Every bait-and-switch was a work of art

[Chorus 3: Willow]
The more that you say, the less I know
Wherever you stray, I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man
You know that my train could take you home
Anywhere else is hollow
Begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man

[Outro: Willow]
The more that you say, the less I know
Wherever you stray, I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man