[Verse 1] The road curled down between the pines And opened to the evening shore White houses leaning into light Like they had seen this all before A gull was cutting through the wind The boats were knocking in their sleep You brushed the salt back from your face And said the town was yours to keep [Pre-Chorus] I thought the world was made of highways Engines, exits, days that run You looked out over quiet water Like you belonged to something older than the sun [Chorus] White houses by the sea Holding all the fading light White houses by the sea Keeping watch through every night If I ever lost my way If the dark got hold of me I would find you in the windows Of those white houses by the sea [Verse 2] We walked beside the weathered sheds Where ropes were coiled like sleeping snakes You told me every painted wall Had learned to bend and not to break There was tar and rain and lavender A radio from somewhere low And every little thing I saw Felt like a place I used to know [Pre-Chorus] You said some towns are not for leaving Some hearts are not for wandering free And I knew before I answered You were talking just as much about yourself as me [Chorus] White houses by the sea Holding all the fading light White houses by the sea Keeping watch through every night If I ever lost my way If the dark got hold of me I would find you in the windows Of those white houses by the sea [Bridge] Years may pull the shoreline farther Time may turn our names to foam But there are places in this world That teach a restless soul what home is [Final Chorus] White houses by the sea Still alive behind my eyes White houses by the sea Under slow and cobalt skies If I ever lose the thread Of who I used to be I will hear your voice come back From those white houses by the sea
