Flagship
Jason Isbell Lyrics

There's a few too many years on this hotel
The hotel has been there for a long time, and its age is showing.

But she used to be a beauty, you can tell
In its glory days, the hotel must have been stunning.

The lights down in the lobby they don't shine
The lighting in the lobby is poor, and the bulbs appear to be failing.

They just flicker while the elevator winds
The lights flicker as the old elevator moves up and down, giving a sense of unease.

And there's couple in the corner of the bar
A pair of travelers is sitting in the bar at the end of the hotel.

Who traveled light and clearly traveled far
The couple looks like they have been traveling for a while, and they only have a few belongings with them.

And she's got nothing left to learn about his heart
The woman seems to have spent a lot of time with the man and knows everything about him.

And they're sitting there a thousand miles apart
Despite being physically close, the couple seems emotionally distant from one another.

Baby, let's not ever get that way
The artist is talking to his partner, hoping they never end up emotionally distant like the couple in the bar.

I'll say whatever words I need to say
The artist is willing to communicate openly and honestly to keep their relationship strong.

I'll throw rocks at your window from the street
The singer is willing to go to great lengths to get their partner's attention when they're not together.

And we'll call ourselves the flagship of the fleet
The artist is comparing their relationship to a flagship – the strongest and most important ship in a fleet.

And there's a lady shining shoes up by the door
A shoe-shiner is working near the hotel entrance.

Cowboy boots for seven dollars more
The shoe-shiner offers to shine cowboy boots for $7 extra.

And I remember how you loved to see them shine
The singer's partner enjoyed seeing well-polished cowboy boots.

So I run upstairs to get a pair of mine
The artist goes to fetch their own cowboy boots to get them shined.

And there's a painting on the wall beside the bed
There's a painting hanging next to the bed.

Of the watercolor sky at Hilton Head
The painting depicts a beautiful watercolor of the sky at Hilton Head – a popular beach resort town.

And I see you in that summer when we met
The singer remembers their partner from the summer they first met, maybe at Hilton Head.

And that boy you left in tears in his Corvette
The artist recalls a past relationship of their partner, where they left a boy crying after breaking his heart and driving off in a Corvette.

You gotta try and keep yourself naive
The artist advises that it's important to stay innocent and not let the world's negativity ruin your outlook.

In spite of all the evidence believed
Even though there's plenty of negative, the artist believes it's still important to have a positive mindset.

And volunteer to lose touch with the world
The singer recommends disconnecting from the stresses of the world and focusing on oneself and their relationship.

And focus on one solitary girl
The male speaker urges his partner to focus on him and their relationship.

Baby, let's not live to see it fade
The singer hopes that their relationship never dies out.

I'll cancel all the plans I've ever made
The singer is willing to put everything else aside to invest in their relationship.

I'll drive and you can ride in the back seat
The singer is willing to go the extra mile for their partner, even if it means driving them around.

And we'll call ourselves the flagship of the fleet
The artist wants their relationship to be known as a symbol of strength and importance.