[Verse 1] (flamenco guitar, honky-tonk piano, shuffle drums) He had a reason once, a real one, solid as a stone The kind you didn't have to dress, you left it well alone But the reason got promoted and the truth began to slide And a better excuse moved in and made itself a guide [Chorus] (full band, palmas, group harmonies) It started as a reason and it ended as a line A better excuse, polished up and easy to recite A reason's what you stand on, an excuse is what you hide And nobody can tell you which one's working from inside [Verse 2] (piano triplets, walking bass) A woman wouldn't make the call, she had her grounds at first Then the grounds became a habit and the habit got rehearsed She can deliver it like scripture, she can sell it in her sleep And somewhere underneath it is a reason she can't keep [Chorus] (fuller, fuzz guitar accents) It started as a reason and it ended as a line A better excuse, polished up and easy to recite A reason's what you stand on, an excuse is what you hide And nobody can tell you which one's working from inside [Bridge] (drums drop, piano and organ only) A reason looks toward something, an excuse looks toward the door One explains the thing you're doing, one explains it away the more And the cruel trick is the wording is exactly, word for word, the same Only the heart behind it knows the difference of the aim [Piano and Steel Solo] (honky-tonk piano and steel trading) [Chorus] (final, stacked harmonies) It started as a reason and you traded down the years A better excuse, well-tailored, that convinces and that steers A reason sets you walking, an excuse keeps you in place And you'll polish up the better one and call it saving face [Outro] (flamenco guitar and palmas fading) He has it word for word by now, it never lets him down (good excuse, good excuse) The finest reason-shaped thing in town
