[Intro — creaking piano, nervous bass, a guitar note that won't quite resolve] Shhh. Somebody's reading. Somebody's dead. Somebody's conquered the world Inside my head. [Verse 1] I've got a king in a paper crown, A dead man's map of a buried town, Three hundred heroes who've never been scared, And a thousand brave men who were never prepared. I've got a shelf for the lives I missed, A dog-eared page and a clenched-up fist, Every great adventure, every grand design— Funny how the endings Never seem to rhyme with mine. [Chorus] Quiet in the library, The whole world's at my feet. Every man a legend, Every ending bittersweet. Quiet in the library, I've seen what men can do. I've lived a thousand lifetimes— Never lived one through. [Verse 2] My boy's got tomorrow in the soles of his shoes, He's got everything to win, everything to lose. I watch him run headfirst into the rain, And I feel something ugly I won't give a name. I want him to be fearless. I want him to be wise. I want him to see wonder Without seeing the price. I want him to be better Than the man I never was. Isn't that what fathers do? Isn't that enough? [Chorus] Quiet in the library, The whole world's at my feet. Every man a legend, Every ending bittersweet. Quiet in the library, I've seen what men can do. I've lived a thousand lifetimes— Never lived one through. [Verse 3 — bass and piano, voice dry and close] I could've been a soldier. I could've been a thief. Could've sailed around the world Or died for my beliefs. Could've loved a little harder. Could've laughed a little more. Could've kicked down every window Instead of guarding every door. Could've, should've, would've— A fine collection, that. I'll have to find a larger shelf For all the lives I never had. [Instrumental — piano stumbles, guitar circles the same unresolved phrase] [Bridge — drums drop out; voice almost amused] And isn't that the joke? The great secret of the ages, The wisdom of the sages, The answer in the margins Of a million dusty pages— Be happy you're alive. That's it? That's the trick? All those kings and gods and monsters And the answer's just— Live? [Band slams back in] Live while you've got a beating heart! Love before the lights go out! Hold your boy and let him go! Laugh when you don't know what it's all about! Oh, that's beautiful. That's profound. Put it on a bookmark. Pass the wisdom around. [Chorus — fuller, ragged and warm] Quiet in the library, The whole world's at my feet. But the dust is just the dust, And the dead don't get to speak. Quiet in the library, There's a life outside the room. I've been waiting for a grand entrance— I've got nothing left to prove. [Verse 4 — piano and bass, a small crooked melody] The books are still magnificent. The heroes still stand tall. The world is still a mystery I can't explain at all. But somewhere there's a boy out there Who's going to make mistakes. And somewhere there's a father Who's got time before it breaks. I don't have to be the hero. I don't have to be the king. I can just be here to see him When he comes home with his wings. Or broken bones. Or nothing much to say. I can ask him how his day was. I can listen. I can stay. [Final Chorus — building, ragged harmonies from the same lead vocal] Quiet in the library, The whole world's at my feet. I've mistaken all these stories For a life I couldn't lead. Quiet in the library, Let the old ghosts have their say. I've been waiting for my life to start— It started yesterday. It started when he laughed at me. It started when she smiled. It started in the ordinary, The unremarkable, the wild. It's a beautiful life. God help me— It's a beautiful life. [Outro — the band falls away; piano continues alone] Shhh. Somebody's reading. Somebody's dead. Somebody's living Outside my head. And I've got a book to put away. I've got a boy to see. I've got a little time left. That's enough for me. [One final crooked piano chord] [Quietly] That's enough. [Silence]
