[Verse 1] They left it on the table beneath the office clock A little piece of metal, heavier than it looked The hallway held its breath when everybody walked Past the door that kept the winter out [Pre-Chorus] You said, “Who takes the night watch?” I said, “Give it here” Not because I knew the answer Because you needed someone near [Chorus] I held the key so nobody else had to fear the lock [Group Response] No one had to fear the lock [Lead] I carried every question till the morning train came through [Group Response] We trusted it to you [Lead] If the door stayed closed, we knew what that was for [Group Response] We knew what that was for [Lead] I held the key so nobody else had to fear the lock [Verse 2] I learned the names of footsteps, the schedule of the rain Which child forgot a lunchbox, who came home late again The key became a promise, not a medal or a chain A quiet way of saying, “You can rest” [Pre-Chorus] When the hinges started crying And the power blinked twice I heard you in the stairwell Asking if we’d be all right [Chorus] I held the key so nobody else had to fear the lock [Group Response] No one had to fear the lock [Lead] I carried every question till the morning train came through [Group Response] We trusted it to you [Lead] If the door stayed closed, we knew what that was for [Group Response] We knew what that was for [Lead] I held the key so nobody else had to fear the lock [Bridge] Then one cold Sunday, you placed your hand on mine Said, “A guard is not a wall; he is a borrowed line” So I passed the weight around, from palm to palm to palm And the whole room breathed together Like a storm had finally gone [Final Chorus] I held the key so nobody else had to fear the lock [Group Response] No one has to fear the lock [Lead] Now every hand is ready, every window has a view [Group Response] We carry it with you [Lead] The door is still a doorway, not a fortress anymore [Group Response] Not a fortress anymore [Lead] I held the key so nobody else had to fear the lock [Group Response] No one has to fear the lock [Lead] We held the key so nobody else had to fear the dark [Outro] Pass it on Pass it on The safest hands are many hands Pass it on
