[Intro] [Slinky slide guitar over upright bass, brushed snare, 4 bars] [Spoken, Male, low] Ten past four... [Verse 1] He comes in ten past four and takes the stool beside the door, Still wears the badge from the paper mill that ain't a mill no more. Lays a twenty on the bar, never has to say my name, Pete just grabs me by the neck and sets me down the same. We go back to seventeen, a creek bank and a borrowed truck, I stood up at his weddin', and I stayed when she packed up. He don't have to tell me nothin', I was there for every mile, I just sit there at his elbow, and I let him rest a while. [Chorus] Yesterday goes down easy, Tip it back and let it burn, I don't run the hurtin' off, I just make it wait its turn. I can't fix yesterday, brother— But I'll make it tomorrow's problem. [Verse 2] Used to be two fingers, and he'd leave 'fore it got dark, Now Pete stacks the chairs around him, his truck the last one parked. He had a job lined up on Monday, slept right through the alarm, His boy came in on Tuesday night and walked him out there by the arm. The mill's gone, his daddy's gone, and his buddies quit comin' round, But I ain't never missed a night, and I ain't never let him down. He calls me his best friend, says I'm the only one that stays, And he ain't wrong— I'll be there for the rest of his days. [Chorus] Yesterday goes down easy, Tip it back and let it burn, I don't run the hurtin' off, I just make it wait its turn. I can't fix yesterday, brother— But I'll make it tomorrow's problem. [Instrumental Break] [Slide guitar solo, 4 bars] [Bridge] [Half-time, bass and slide only, near-spoken] Last night he pushed me back across the bar and didn't drink, His boy was waitin' in the truck, and I watched him stop and think. I didn't holler after him, I didn't make a sound— Old friends don't say goodbye. Ten past four comes back around. [Final Chorus] [Full band, slow and heavy] Yesterday goes down easy, Tip it back and let it burn, I don't run the hurtin' off, I just make it wait its turn. I can't fix yesterday, brother— But I'll make it tomorrow's problem, [Band drops out] And I'll save your seat tomorrow too. [Outro] [Lone slide guitar, clock ticking] [Spoken, Male, low] Ten past four, brother... ...I saved your seat. [End]
