lying on a mattress cos my friend's crazy sister took my bed away

sleeping she looked like an actress

in theory and in practice

i said there's got to be a better way

she said

you light a thousand matches

when you finally set fire well you run away

so why'd you go and do it

when you knew that you would go and i would stay



i hit the wall in frustration the conversation had been circling for days

she said

don't take it out on him

for the wall has always been

supportive in the best of ways

we were laughing and crying like mad men dying in the snow

for just one second it was funny

that she would have to stay and i would go



i said love you know

i love you so

and when you love someone

well you've gotta let them know

she said

nothings changed

i love you the same

but when you love someone sometimes

you've gotta let them go



she handed me a stone in the perfect shape of a heart

she said

i'm gonna take this home

for i know you'll only lose it somewhere after dark

in some faceless hotel room

where you seem to lose everything you own

she didn't mean it how it sounded

what she meant was she would stay and i would go



and she said

love you know

i love you so

and when you love someone

you've gotta let them know

i said

nothings changed

i love you the same

but when you love someone sometimes

you've gotta let them go



sometimes you tear it all apart

to see the wood from the trees

sometimes you break your own heart

to set yourself free



i walked her to the station hesitation in our movement and our tone

and words finally left after realising how uncomfortable they'd grown

see what you want and what you need well they seldomly succeed to grow

we reluctantly agreed when you love some one you've gotta let them go