Quietest Friend - Pedro The Lion

Staving off rejection, which always hurt like hell

I took the devil’s bargain, made a stranger of myself

If anything was wrong, I couldn’t tell

So I didn’t see it coming but now it’s pretty clear

I traded my own wisdom for a jury of my peers

I ignored you for thirty years

You don’t have to tell me

How hard it must have been

For you to let me in

Nothing lasts forever

Now I understand

I hurt you again

My quietest friend

Fifth grade in the lunchroom, fickle friends were telling jokes

Making you the punchline of some random thing I wrote

They were looking to me to land the final blow

Just to be included, went straight up to my head

I thought the joke too stupid for it to matter what I said

I was wrong but I went along with it

You don’t have to tell me

How hard it must have been

For you to let me in

Nothing lasts forever

Now I understand

I hurt you again

My quietest friend

We could write me some reminders

I’d memorize them

I could sing them to myself

And whoever’s listening

I could put them on a record

About my hometown

Sitting here with pen and paper

I’m listening now