Purple Heart Paperweight

My grandfather lost his knee in the war
He never bothered to tell the story before
The memories were painful so I let it go
But he got older and his blood started to thin
He’d shrug his shoulders and didn’t know where to begin
With snow falling on bodies or slowly freezing
I never thought that I would sing along to all the songs I hated
What’s left for you and I when all of the remains are unrelated
But it’s not affecting me because I never kept them anyway

I’m driving faster there’s not a second to waste
I court disaster with every turn that I take
Know I shouldn’t be driving but I’m on the road
My grandmother hadn’t shed a tear
She told me stories of how she used to cower in fear
From fists raised up in anger and drunken beatings

I never thought that I would sing along to all the songs I hated
What’s left for you and I when all of the remains are unrelated
But it’s not affecting me because I know I loved him anyway
And God knows he loved me anyway
When you think about it, it’s not affecting me
Because I know I loved him anyway
And God knows he loved me anyway

And tonight I know this man is dead and gone
I’m in his chair listening to all of his favorite songs
Because the man I lost was the man I knew before I ever learned
That he had fires to light bridges to burn