I Thought They Came for Someone Else Verse 1 I saw two strangers down the road, Walking like the oldest friends, Laughing loud and trading stories, Like the daylight had no end. One had a shovel on his shoulder, One an old and heavy spade, And they walked with such assurance Like an appointment had been made. I followed softly through the distance, Curiosity pulled me on, Wondering who would need their labor, Wondering where they both belonged. They never turned to look behind them, Never called or spoke my name, So I followed like a shadow Through their strange and cheerful game. Chorus Oh, where are you going, gentlemen? Who is waiting down the line? Why are you laughing on a road That feels much colder all the time? Who needs the earth turned over? Who needs the farewell bell? I kept asking who you came for... I thought you came for someone else. Verse 2 For a moment I was dreaming, Lost inside another life, Building castles out of tomorrows, Making plans for years in sight. When I woke, the road was empty, Not a footprint, not a sound, Even laughter had abandoned Every stone and tree around. So I turned around disappointed, Thinking I had lost their trail, Then I saw them in the distance, Two dark figures standing still. Both were waving like old neighbors, Almost happy I had come, Then one pointed past my shoulder... And suddenly my heart went numb. Chorus Oh, where are you going, gentlemen? Who is waiting down the line? Why are you laughing on a road That feels much colder all the time? Who needs the earth turned over? Who needs the farewell bell? I kept asking who you came for... I thought you came for someone else. Bridge There it was— A rectangle of silence, Fresh earth sleeping by its side. No name carved into a headstone, No mourners waiting there to cry. I looked at them. I looked at the shovel. I looked into that waiting ground. And every little clock inside me Stopped without a sound. They hadn't lost me. They hadn't missed me. They knew each turning of the road. I thought that I was following them... But they were leading me back home. Final Chorus So this is where you're going, gentlemen, This is where the journey ends. You knew the hour, you knew the place, And still you laughed like lifelong friends. All my plans for distant mornings, All the years I thought I held— I spent my life believing death Was meant for someone else. Outro We hear the shovel in the distance, And say, "Not mine, not yet, not me." We watch another sunset falling And bargain with eternity. But somewhere two old friends are walking, With steady hands and nothing else... And when they wave, you finally know— They never came for someone else.
