[Intro: spoken, a stranger's polite voice at a backyard party] Lovely party. The orchards are beautiful in winter, aren't they? [Verse 1: cold calm male MC] Paper plates, pink balloons, and a bounce house in the back Twenty years of sittin' on a code that never cracked Then a man in a gray coat walked in by the slide Said the sentence that they told me would wake the man inside Twenty years they planted me on this little street Coach the soccer team, I'm the dad who brings the treats Learned to braid her hair in the mirror every day Learned to love a woman that I married for the play Says the window's open, says the car is down the block I just hand the man a slice of cake and check the clock [Hook: cold calm male MC] Tell 'em I stand down, scratch me off the list Only thing I'm guardin' now is a girl who's turnin' six You can bring that code back up into this cul-de-sac Find out what twenty years of patience does to a man like that [Verse 2: cold calm male MC, closer] He leans in, says, "Think about what you were really for" I said, "Carryin' a sleepin' kid from the car to the door" Says, "The country's callin'," I said, "Tell it I'm out Got a parent-teacher Tuesday and a clog in the spout" He says, "They'll send another man," I said, "Then send a crew 'Cause I still know every single thing you taught me how to do" I can end a man with anything that's sittin' on this table I just choose to cut the cake 'cause I'm willin' and I'm able Look across the lawn, see my wife, see her wave She don't know who I was, and I'm keepin' it that way [Hook: cold calm male MC] Tell 'em I stand down, scratch me off the list Only thing I'm guardin' now is a girl who's turnin' six You can bring that code back up into this cul-de-sac Find out what twenty years of patience does to a man like that [Bridge: the kick drum turns into a slow steady heartbeat under the piano, cold calm male MC] Fifty-two a minute, that's my heart right now Same pace when I'm readin' her the one about the cow Same pace if you reach into that coat you wore Fifty-two a minute, and you know what it's for [Verse 3: cold calm male MC, final] Man finished his cake and put the fork down slow Wiped his mouth, looked at me, said, "Okay, I'll go" Said, "I'll tell 'em you were dead, I'll tell 'em you were gone" I said, "Tell 'em I was busy, tell 'em I was on the lawn" Watched him to the car, watched him make the turn Then I lit the candles, six of 'em, and let 'em burn She blew out every one and made a wish she wouldn't say I already got my wish, and I'm livin' it today [Final Hook: cold calm male MC, the full beat back under him] Tell 'em I stand down, scratch me off the list Only thing I'm guardin' now is a girl who's turnin' six You can bring that code back up into this cul-de-sac Find out what twenty years of patience does to a man like that [End]
