If I Looked Up

[Intro] Funny thing about nerves... Sometimes They look a lot like concentration ... That's useful [Verse 1] There was always a good seat in the back Far enough from the light to disappear Close enough to hear everything You'd step into a song Room would lean your way I'd tell myself I came for the music ... Seren never bought that She'd catch me staying through your last note Give me that look That twin thing No questions Just... Mm-hmm I'd shake my head She'd smile Conversation over [Pre-Chorus] Every now and then Your eyes would find the back of the room I'd find something else to look at Never knew what you saw ... Never asked Some questions are safer Without answers [Chorus] If I looked up... You might know Something I got good at keeping low So I learned the black and white Let my hands say what they could Kept my eyes where eyes behave Like a careful man should If I looked up... Maybe you'd see Why that smile never listened to me I could play the keys I could play it cool ... One of those sounded better when I believed it [Verse 2] Then last week Same bar Same comfortable distance Till I hear... "Mr. Piano Man" ... That's interesting Because some things I don't advertise And somehow You had the headline I looked toward Seren Didn't need to ask That little smile wasn't exactly a confession ... Wasn't exactly innocent either Then you called a vote Whole room turned And you stood there looking far too pleased with democracy "Come play for me" ... Then something about begging I don't remember the exact words [Soft Laugh] That's a lie I remember every one [Pre-Chorus] You said stop smiling I found that interesting too Because you'd look away Then somehow... Always know when I looked back Maybe coincidence ... Maybe not Either way I suddenly had eighty-eight good reasons To keep my eyes down [Chorus] If I looked up... You might know Something I wasn't ready to show Those black and white keys Got real important real fast Every time you leaned close Every time you laughed If I looked up... Maybe you'd see Why concentration came so easily I knew the chords I knew the changes The song wasn't giving me trouble ... Something else was [Verse 3] Then somewhere between the bar and the bench I heard you wondering out loud Whether the walk had improved the view ... Interesting question Then somebody farther back agreed with you You could've corrected the record You didn't Noted I sat down Found the progression You leaned closer "Thank you, baby" ... One word Two syllables Tiny thing Still managed to move the beat You heard it too I know because your face tried to catch it Too late Some notes keep ringing Even after you lift your hand [Bridge] I won't say what Seren knows She'd enjoy that way too much I won't say how many performances I've seen from the back Or why I somehow remember the little things That's unnecessary ... I'll say this The piano wasn't difficult Looking up was And when you told me to stop smiling... I tried That's about as much truth As you're getting from me tonight [Final Chorus] If I looked up... You might know Maybe more than I intended to show Those keys gave my eyes somewhere safe to land While you kept making simple things Harder than planned If I looked up... Maybe I'd learn Whether some of those glances were meant to return You hid inside a laugh I hid inside a song Maybe neither one of us was hiding all that strong ... Maybe [Final Lift] I don't need to name this Names make things stand still And whatever this is... I kinda like the question Maybe I've been reading too much into a few looks A smile One word A piano bench ... Could be nothing [Soft Laugh] Seren would laugh at that sentence [Pause] Anyway... You're downstairs I'm up here That's probably for the best Some songs come out easier When the person who inspired them Can't hear you ... Probably [Outro] So next time the room gets quiet And you catch somebody looking from the back... You don't have to say anything Maybe you never did And if somehow I end up behind those keys again... Maybe I'll spend a little less time studying them ... Maybe I'll look up