Rain and Dust

[Intro] (Instrumental: hazy tremolo guitar, distant toms, bass swell) [Chorus] All the rides are sleeping now With their mouths full of rain and dust Every car on the ferris wheel Holds a ghost of the kids we once were I walk through the rust and I still hear the sound Of a summer that never learned to come down [Verse 1] Chain link fence with a hole kicked through Sign half hanging that says Stay Out Ticket booth with the glass all gone Prize wall faded, colors washed out Cotton candy stains on the concrete floor Like the storm forgot what it came here for [Verse 2] Plastic rings in a shallow pool Tilt-a-whirl wrapped in plastic sheets Graffiti hearts on the bumper cars Names of strangers under my feet I press my hand to the carousel rail Paint flaked off like a brittle old tale [Pre-Chorus] I close my eyes and I swear I hear Screams of joy where the weeds grow near All these echoes that never quite clear [Chorus] All the rides are sleeping now With their mouths full of rain and dust Every car on the ferris wheel Holds a ghost of the kids we once were I walk through the rust and I still hear the sound Of a summer that never learned to come down [Instrumental Break] (Instrumental: overdriven guitars build, floor tom pattern, reverb-soaked lead hook) [Bridge] We grew taller, they cut every light Packed the magic into storage overnight Now the sky is just a ceiling of gray But I still feel it flicker when I look this way [Double Chorus] All the rides are sleeping now With their mouths full of rain and dust Every car on the ferris wheel Holds a ghost of the kids we once were I walk through the rust and I still hear the sound Of a summer that never learned to come down All the rides are sleeping now On the edge of a town that moved on I am walking through the empty noise Trying to find where the colors have gone If growing up means tearing it down Why does it echo every time I turn around [Outro] (Instrumental: slow drum fade, guitar feedback, carousel-melody lead line)