Let Me Stay

My brother’s old room used to be mine
And all of our posters have changed over time
Now all of our idols are on the tip of our tongues
And we can’t recall what’s-his-name, over eggnog and rum
And my brother’s old room used to be mine
Now my mother’s old paintings can finally shine
And fill all the spaces where celebrities posed
I woke up this morning in a room that I know
My brother’s old room used to be mine
He painted it blue when I left it behind
Now my mother’s old Alvarez leans up against white
In the brand new guest room where I slept last night
And let me stay, a little longer
And let me rest, let me belong here
I am a guest in every room I’ve ever known
And if my brother’s old ceiling gets just enough sun
The shapes of our made-up constellations
Glow in a pattern that I knew by heart
I woke up in the morning and picked up her guitar
And on my mother’s old Alvarez, from '76
I wrote down this song as a bargaining chip
To capture a moment from merciless time
To stay in a room that I know, for a while
And let me stay, a little longer
Let me rest, let me belong here
I am a guest in every room I’ve ever known
My brother’s old room, this morning is mine
And someday a stranger will wake to this light
And this illumination is a passage of rite
And the lineage of visitors grows a little in size
Four walls and a window opposite the door
I pack up my bag and I leave it once more
Another holiday ends in a teary embrace
Because even our bodies are places we stay
Because even our bodies are places we stay
And let me stay, a little longer
Let me rest, let me belong here
I am a guest in every room
I’m just a guest, I’ll be going soon
I am a guest in every room I’ve ever known