Paul
Big Thief Lyrics

Oh the last time I saw Paul
The singer is reminiscing about the last moment they encountered Paul.

I was horrible and almost let him in
The singer was in a bad emotional state and almost let Paul into their life.

But I stopped and caught the wall
The singer suddenly changed their mind and decided not to let Paul in.

And my mouth got dry so all I did was take him for a spin
The artist took Paul on a ride just to pass time and avoid a conversation.

Yeah, we hopped inside my car
The artist and Paul got into a car together.

And I drove in circles 'round the freight train yard
The singer drove aimlessly around a freight train yard with Paul.

And he turned the headlights off
Paul turned off the headlights of the car.

Then he pulled the bottle out
Paul drank from a bottle that he had with him.

And then he showed me what is love
Paul expressed his love to the artist.

I'll be your morning bright goodnight shadow machine
The artist promises to be there for Paul like a dependable machine.

I'll be your record player, baby, if you know what I mean
The singer will be whatever Paul wants them to be, even if it's just a means to an end.

I'll be your real tough cookie with the whiskey breath
The artist can be tough like whiskey but also make things worse like the consequences of drinking too much.

I'll be a killer and a thriller and the cause of our death
The singer can be both dangerous and exciting, leading them to a potentially fatal situation.

In the blossom of the months
In a time of growth and change.

I was sure that I'd get driven off with thought
The singer thought they would be swept off their feet by someone.

So I swallowed all of it
The artist held onto their hopes and expectations.

As I realized there was no one who could kiss away my shit
The artist realizes that nobody can fix their problems for them.

Oh Paul, I know you said that you'd take me any way I came or went
The singer remembers that Paul claimed he would accept them no matter what.

But I'll push you from my brain
The singer wants to forget about Paul.

See, you're gentle, baby
The artist acknowledges that Paul is kind and caring.

I couldn't stay, I'd only bring you pain
The artist believes that they are not good for Paul and would only cause him pain.

I was your starry-eyed lover and the one that you saw
During their time together, the artist was Paul's only love interest.

I was your hurricane rider and the woman you'd call
The singer was the person Paul would contact during tough times.

We were just two moonshiners on the cusp of a breath
The artist and Paul were living recklessly, on the brink of something big, but didn't quite get there.

And I've been burning for you baby since the minute I left
The singer has been thinking about Paul and longing for him ever since they parted ways.