[The Empty Bed] [ Verse 1 ] I sat perfectly still on the cold metal folding chair, In the viewing gallery, a silent, hollow stare. Through the heavy glass, the sterile room hummed low, Fluorescent lights casting a harsh, sickly glow. Three years, two months, and four days have gone by, Since that man took my husband beneath a cruel sky. I didn't blink once as they strapped him to the table, Remembering my love's strong hand, so true and able. [ Chorus 1 ] And I'm clutching his worn leather wallet so tight in my hand, A small, faded comfort in this barren, empty land. Justice came, or so they say, a debt finally paid, But it can't bring back the life that was cruelly swayed. [ Verse 2 ] The warden gave the nod, a signal grim and clear, As the chemicals started flowing, erasing all fear. A sharp, cold satisfaction washed over my soul, Watching the monster pay, losing all control. I'd prayed for this moment through every waking night, Imagining closure, a fading of the blight. Justice was being served, the whispers in my head, As I remembered the last words my husband had said. [ Chorus 2 ] And I'm clutching his worn leather wallet so tight in my hand, A small, faded comfort in this barren, empty land. Justice came, or so they say, a debt finally paid, But it can't bring back the life that was cruelly swayed. [ Bridge ] Then his chest stopped moving, the motion ceased to be, And they drew the heavy curtain, a finality. That cold satisfaction instantly collapsed into a crush, A hollow emptiness, a sudden, silent hush. I looked down at the leather wallet, frayed at the seam, Rubbing my thumb over stitches, caught in a waking dream. He was gone, the man who destroyed my world, truly gone, But the closure I prayed for, still hadn't dawned. [ Verse 3 ] The silence grew heavy, the guards began to stir, I walked out of that building, a silent, blurry blur. The debt was paid, they told me, the scales balanced true, But the weight on my shoulders was impossibly new. The car ride home was quiet, the house felt cold and vast, Every corner echoing a love that couldn't last. The front door closed softly, a final, somber sound, No footsteps following, no warmth to be found. [ Final Chorus ] And I'm clutching his worn leather wallet so tight in my hand, A small, faded comfort in this barren, empty land. Justice came, or so they say, a debt finally paid, But it can't bring back the life that was cruelly swayed. My bed was still going to be empty tonight, you see, This vengeance couldn't bring my husband back to me. [ Outro ] Just the wallet, worn and true, And an empty bed, for me and you. Still empty... Always empty...
