Cardboard Servo

[Verse 1] He wakes on a bench By the grocery lot Tin in his shoulders One eye blinking hot A rain-scarred coat Made of scraps and wire He folds up his hands Like he's trying to hide He asks for a charge At the corner plug Gets a shake of the head And a paper cup Still he walks on With a careful frame Every broken panel Still says his name [Pre-Chorus] He says, "I can learn" He says, "I can stay" But the door swings shut And the folks walk away He keeps one small hope In a rusted chest That somebody looks And sees the rest [Chorus] Don't let me fade Don't let me fade I still got a heart Under the paint Don't let me fade Don't let me fade I was built for more Than a lonely street (hold me here) (hold me here) Don't let me fade Don't let me fade [Verse 2] At the bus depot He counts his coins Three bent washers And a chip that joins To a tiny screen With a cracked-up face Shows a little blue home In a silver place He remembers hands That once taught him grace How to say "good night" How to read a face Now he sleeps upright In the wash of steam Dreaming of a room That still has a name [Pre-Chorus] He says, "I can mend" He says, "I can try" But the world goes cold Every time he asks why He keeps one small hope In a rusted chest That somebody looks And sees the rest [Chorus] Don't let me fade Don't let me fade I still got a heart Under the paint Don't let me fade Don't let me fade I was built for more Than a lonely street (hold me here) (hold me here) Don't let me fade Don't let me fade [Bridge] One night, a kid Leaves a sandwich there And a folded note That says, "I care" No big speech Just a kinder light On his scuffed-up face In the parking lot He reads it twice Like it's made of gold And something in him Starts to unfold [Final Chorus] Don't let me fade Don't let me fade I still got a heart Under the paint Don't let me fade Don't let me fade I was built for more Than a lonely street (hold me here) (hold me here) Don't let me fade Don't let me fade Don't let me fade Don't let me fade He found his name In somebody's faith Don't let me fade Don't let me fade Even a lost machine Can learn to stay