[Verse 1] October stitched the windows gold I watched them through the rain Practised saying my own name Against an empty pane I carved a bird from fallen wood And left it by their stair By morning it was kindling They knew that I'd been there [Refrain] Bolt the door Hide the flame Something in the garden Knows your name [Verse 2] Your doorway caught me turning With a ribbon in my claw You looked beyond my crooked teeth And held the open door You said, "You must be freezing" Like you'd said it all your life I stood there with my answer And forgot to be afraid [Chorus] You left a light on When every house went dark You pulled another chair out And let me warm my hands Was there room for something broken? Could I stay until the dawn? I had nowhere left to go You left a light on [Instrumental] [Verse 3] I learned the kettle's little song The place you kept your cups You laughed when I bent down too far And couldn't straighten up Then someone saw my shadow Where your curtains came apart By evening they were shouting With their lanterns in your yard [Refrain] Let her go Show your face Something in the kitchen Doesn't know its place [Pre-Chorus] You stood against the doorway I could hear your frightened breath I slipped out through the kitchen Before they broke the glass [Chorus] You left a light on When every house went dark You pulled another chair out And let me warm my hands Was there room for something broken? Could I stay until the dawn? I had nowhere left to go You left a light on [Bridge] I waited past the orchard Till their lanterns disappeared Then winter took the footpath And I let it take the years I thought I'd bring you flowers When my hands could hold them right I thought you'd still be waiting I thought I still had time [Breakdown] One more winter One more year Learn to knock Then disappear One more winter One more year How could I come home And bring them here? I thought I still had time! [Verse 4] The gate came loose beneath my hand Your roses choked the stair A letter waited by the door Your daughter's name was there "She made me change the porch bulb When she couldn't walk that far She said a friend might need it Who was frightened of the dark" [Final Chorus] You left a light on Though you couldn't see the road You kept a place beside you For a friend who never showed There was room for something broken There was somewhere I belonged All those years I stayed away You left a light on [Final Refrain] I brought the wooden bird back I set it by your chair I said my name into the room As if you still were there [Outro] October warmed the windows I sat there until dawn You left a light on
