It Ain’t the House

[Intro, G minor, slow, bare; tape hiss, soft steel] (boards creak) [Verse 1] The porch is soft, near giving way Three years of rain got in and stayed I lean my weight against the frame Feel the whole place shift and strain There’s a mark cut in the doorframe, chest-high, still From a boy that never made it past that hill The hearth is cold, nothing left to say Just the words I let slip away [Chorus] It ain’t the house— It’s me Every crack you see in it Started here in me It ain’t the house— It’s me (It’s me) [Verse 2] My old man bought this land half blind Back when the creek still held a line He showed me how to set things straight Not how to speak before it’s late Fence line’s bent and rusted through Like the things I didn’t do Termites chewing through the floor I let it eat right to the core [Chorus] It ain’t the house— It’s me Every crack you see in it Started here in me It ain’t the house— It’s me (It’s me) [Bridge] I had the hammer in my hand I just stood there, let it stand That small voice called from down the hall I heard him—I just didn’t call [Chorus] It ain’t the house— It’s me Every crack you see in it Started here in me It ain’t the house— It’s me (It’s me) [Outro] That mark’s still there in the doorframe line It hasn’t grown an inch since then It ain’t the house— It’s me (It’s me)