[Intro] (2-bar guitar pickup, dry shuffle groove) [Verse 1] You called me “gold,” said I’d strike it any minute, bought me one good drink, then put a riddle in it. Your smile keeps time while your stories change keys, you’re dealin’ off the bottom and you do it with ease. [Pre-Chorus] I ain’t mad, I’m just countin’ the tells, every wink is a chip on the felt. [Chorus] You line me up just to knock me off, paint me the punchline without the laugh. Tip your hat, darlin’, the joke’s worn thin— I’ll take my boots and my better half. If love’s a setup, I won’t take the fall; I hear the downbeat—I’m out by last call. [Verse 2] You change your tune when there’s money on the table, swear you’re settlin’ down—honey, if you’re able. Name-drop a stranger like he’s old Saint Paul, but every saint you carry’s just a barroom drawl. [Pre-Chorus] I ain’t cold, I’m just clear in the head, learned to read the room by what ain’t said. [Chorus] You line me up just to knock me off, paint me the punchline without the laugh. Tip your hat, darlin’, the joke’s worn thin— I’ll take my boots and my better half. If love’s a setup, I won’t take the fall; I hear the downbeat—I’m out by last call. [Guitar Solo – 8 bars] (phrasing over speed, double-stops, small bends, ends on a sly slide) [Stop-Time Jab] (Band hits—silence—one dry snare click.) [Final Chorus] You line me up but I’ve seen the trick, rewrite the ending, make it stick. Keep your mirage, I’ll keep my ground— no cheap applause when the truth comes ’round. If love’s a setup, I’ll pass on the play; bar door swings, and I walk away. [Riff Tag] (2-bar twangy tag, tight kick, tape-warm fade)
