Steam curls up from spinning drums
Fluorescent buzz hums through the night
Corners folded sharp as thumb
Ink lines hold their true design
Map don't fade where rain don't reach
Tokens sleep in plastic sleeves
Routes you know don't need a speech
Paper cities never leave
Gum stuck deep on bench seat vinyl
Turnstile clicks match heartbeat time
Transfer slips don't ask for final
Stops you rode in eighty-two
Map don't fade where rain don't reach
Tokens sleep in plastic sleeves
Routes you know don't need a speech
Paper cities never leave
Laundromat sign flickers red
Socks spin round in wire cages
Map don't care what lies ahead
Creases hold the shape you made
Wipers smear the avenue
Meter runs but you don't drive
Memory draws a truer blue
Than any grid could survive
Corner store sells coffee black
Steam fogs up the driver's window
Lines on paper don't shrink back
Stations wait where you let go
Map don't fade where rain don't reach
Tokens sleep in plastic sleeves
Routes you know don't need a speech
Paper cities never leave
Rain lets up the signs go dark
Map folds neat in leather coat
Routes stay printed on your chart
Wheels keep turning on your note
Map don't fade where rain don't reach
Tokens sleep in plastic sleeves
Routes you know don't need a speech
Paper cities never leave
Map don't fade where rain don't reach
Paper cities never leave
Engine idles map stays dry
You drive on where lines don't die