Every Pleat Became a Sail

(Verse 1) The final bell was a sweet release I was walkin' with Liam, talkin' 'bout the team's big win That March wind was kickin' up across the field so flat A cold, relentless breath beneath a gloomy sky where we were at My pleated uniform skirt, a standard navy blue Started flappin' like a flag, and a nervous feeling grew (Verse 2) First, just a little flutter, a whisper 'gainst my knee A memory of a nightmare, a quiet, hidden plea I'm not the flashy type, I like to fly under the radar Pressed my textbooks to my hip a little bit and held 'em harder A casual swipe, a pivot turn to put the wind behind me Hopin' Liam wouldn't notice any tension he could find in me (Chorus) Then the wind picked up with a vengeance, a wild and howlin' gust My heart jumped straight into my throat, in myself I lost all trust Two hands flew down to anchor that thin and flimsy plaid But it was like tryin' to hold back a tide, a fightin' battle going bad Every pleat became a sail, a traitor in the gale And I knew behind my silky beige, those ducks were gonna set sail (Verse 3) It was a full-on struggle, a frantic, losin' war Spinnin' like a weather vane there on that astroturf floor My bag dropped, my hands were useless, just slick against the cloth One final, mighty tug, it defied my pleading oath It flew right up to my waist, a moment frozen, stark And I saw Liam's eyes go wide right there there in the park (Bridge) There was no sound, no scream, just the wind's victorious roar My face was fire, my whole world crashed right there onto the floor A thousand eyes I imagined, though nobody was near Just the shame of those silly yellow ducks, so childish and so clear Then a snap, the button gave way, it tore right from the shirt And that navy blue skirt took flight, a sailboat in the dirt (Chorus) And I was left there standin', in a nightmare come to life Exposed and absolutely defenseless in the strife The wind just laughed and kept on blowin', carryin' my pride With my silk beige duck-print panties there with nothin' left to hide Every pleat became a memory, a traitor in the gale And I knew behind my silky beige, those ducks had won and set sail (Verse 4) My skirt was doing cartwheels, headin' for the fence There was no choice, no other way, it didn't make no sense I choked out, "Liam, could you...?" and I pointed a shaky hand He just nodded, dead sober, and ran across the land I stood there, arms crossed tight, wishin' for the earth to split Hatin' every duck on cotton, every single bit (Verse 5) He brought it back, looked at his shoes, muttered, "It's okay" I tied the thing around my waist, my own hair in my way I thought I'd never wear a skirt again, I'd burn the whole lot But the next day, I put it on, a different kind of thought 'Cause the wind will always blow, and sometimes buttons break And sometimes your most secret self is what the world will take But it's just a skirt, and they're just ducks, and a gust of March air And the shame don't last forever, though it feels like it's right there Yeah, the shame don't last forever... it just hides until the next big scare. (Chorus) And I was left there standin', in a nightmare come to life Exposed and absolutely defenseless in the strife The wind just laughed and kept on blowin', carryin' my pride With my silk beige duck-print panties there with nothin' left to hide Every pleat became a memory, a traitor in the gale And I knew behind my silky beige, those ducks had won and set sail