The Hanger's Ledger

[Intro]
[Verse]
The ice melts in the glass
I watch the shadows pass
A heavy wool coat arrives
Telling tales of broken lives
Frayed at the lonely sleeve
Ready for a long leave
It smells like rain and gin
Where do the secrets begin?
[Verse]
Next comes a sequined spark
Dancing through the dark
A bolero light as air
With a ribbon in her hair
Giddy with a brand new flame
She barely knows his name
I hang it on hook four
While she glides across the floor
[Bridge]
Then there’s the navy blue
Tired and overdue
A crumpled poem in the pocket
Like a secret in a locket
Words he never dared to say
Wasted on a rainy day
(Sax plays a low breathy line)
(Voice answers with a sigh)
[Verse]
I am the keeper of the ghosts
Among these wooden posts
I see what they try to hide
In the lining deep inside
A world of hope and fear
Left for an hour here
Just a ticket and a dime
To buy a little time
[Interlude]
[Bridge]
My own sweater is thin
Letting the cold wind in
Maybe one night I’ll find
A note that’s left behind
Written just for me to see
A little piece of mystery
(Sax trades a playful lick)
(Vocals mock the ticking clock)
[Chorus]
It’s a coat check philosophy
A velvet kind of history
I hold the weight of the night
Until the morning light
Every button is a story told
Keeping out the bitter cold
In this quiet, dusty hall
I’m the witness to it all
[Verse]
The band begins to fade
The final debt is paid
They come to claim their skin
And let the world back in
I hand back every soul
Keeping the ledger whole
A nod and a weary smile
Stay for a little while
[Chorus]
It’s a coat check philosophy
A velvet kind of history
I hold the weight of the night
Until the morning light
Every button is a story told
Keeping out the bitter cold
In this quiet, dusty hall
I’m the witness to it all
[Outro]