Stay With Me Where the Birches Bow

[Verse 1] You draw a blue line on the frozen bay The red roofs lean where the snowbanks stay A gull lifts slowly from the harbor wall Your mitten finds my hand before I fall [Pre-Chorus] The ferry bell goes soft across the gray You turn your face; the cold gives way [Chorus] Stay with me where the birches bow Where the white road disappears somehow Breathe on the glass, write your name for a while Sweden, winter, and your small crooked smile [Verse 2] A copper lamp warms the station sign We trade our coffee, your glove in mine The pinewood hush keeps time with our feet Past shuttered boats asleep in the sleet [Pre-Chorus] The lake holds every color still Your quiet laugh slips down the hill [Chorus] Stay with me where the birches bow Where the white road disappears somehow Breathe on the glass, write your name for a while Sweden, winter, and your small crooked smile [Instrumental] [Bridge] When thaw comes tapping on the quay Will this pale afternoon stay with me? I’ll keep the map folded in my coat And every word you almost spoke [Final Chorus] Stay with me where the birches bow Where the white road disappears somehow Breathe on the glass, write your name for a while Sweden, winter, and your small crooked smile [Outro] Your mitten finds my hand The harbor holds its breath