Track Insight / Lyrics
The last boat sinks from sight
The porch lamp fades from white
The glasses on the table
Sit still around the gable
He counted every chair by hand
And swept the sand from sea to land
The gulls forget the harbor bell
When all the guests have left the shell
[Pre-
Then silence settles on the floor
Like snow against a weathered door
The kettle cools, the hinges stand still
And dust returns across the sill
After the guests have gone away
The quiet takes the harbor in its keep
He lights the room, then lets it fade
To guard the sleep of everyone asleep
After the last goodnight is said
The empty sea can hold his steady tread
Her scarf remains upon the stair
A cup still steams beside the chair
He folds the maps from long ago
And lays them where the cold winds go
[Pre-
The floorboards creak beneath his weight
He pauses by the crooked gate
The moon lays silver on the hall
And settles on the empty wall
After the guests have gone away
The quiet takes the harbor in its keep
He lights the room, then lets it fade
To guard the sleep of everyone asleep
After the last goodnight is said
The empty sea can hold his steady tread
Two bottles stand behind the glass
The ice has left a cloudy mass
He taps the table, hears the tone
As if the house were still his own
The lamp recalls a shipworn night
His hands still know the way to light
But home is where the last lamp goes
And quiet settles under snow
He checks the latch beside the door
The damp boots print the kitchen floor
Then climbs the stairs without a sound
And leaves the dark room turning round
After the guests have gone away
The quiet takes the harbor in its keep
He lights the room, then lets it fade
To guard the sleep of everyone asleep
After the last goodnight is said
The empty sea can hold his steady tread
After the guests have gone away
The quiet takes the harbor in its keep
He leaves one lamp beside the stair
For anyone still lost out there
After the last goodnight is said
The empty sea will hold his steady tread
The porch lamp softens out of sight
First snow comes settling through the night
He turns his face toward the door
And keeps the quiet as before
